


What You Never Knew

by myfailsafe



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Angst, Drama, I hate tags, M/M, OCD, Romance, Slow Burn, confused naruto and Sasuke, drama queen teens, everyone hates Kiba, highschool, it will pick up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 11:36:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 57,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8054758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myfailsafe/pseuds/myfailsafe
Summary: Seeing things in a different light can be eye opening. This time, it's life changing. (REPOST! UPDATED)





	1. The Movement the Change

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Akiruchan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiruchan/gifts).



> This is repost from ff because I decided to pick it back up and try to finish it. I'm not going to go through and edit it, so I apologize for the inevitable mistakes. This will be posted on ff and here, in case anyone prefers one site or the other. The rating has gone from Teen to Mature and will most likely go to Explicit. I will be posting the chapters over a small period of time. Thanks for reading!

High school this day in age is completely different from what your parents remember it as.  Their biggest worry could be the hippie movement and no red meat.  Maybe their problem consisted of not being allowed to enter certain schools because of the color of their skin.  Maybe they were more concerned about joining the military at the first sign of eligibility.  They were trying to keep up with the guy who had the coolest leather jacket.  If they weren't a rebel, they were just a square.  Being a virgin wasn't as big of a deal.  
  
The thing that connects then and now is the same thing that's been continuing since the start.   
  
That would be differences.  
  
Squares were different than bikers.  African American's were different than Caucasians.  The vegans were different from the burger lovers.  Flower power was different from being straight laced.  
  
The differences are becoming broader, wider, and far harder cross.  More cliques, more hate, and more problems.  There aren't really good reasons for the way some of us act during high school.  Trying to fit in and then trying to survive.  These four years can be hell to some people.  Living with horrible secrets, leading double lives, living in denial, being teased and bullied and living with hate.  
  
A movement arose.  One to help and ensure that things like, but not limited too; differences, quick judgment and segregation amongst peers could disappear.  
  
This radical movement came here, to Konoha Senior High in hopes to rip down the walls separating the clicks and open eyes of fellow classmates.  
  
This is Konoha Senior High's experiences...

* * *

“Hugging?” The teen asked skeptically. “They expect everyone to hug?”

“Looks like it.” The other teen replied.

“Kiba, you don't hug.” The blond pointed out.

Kiba shrugged. “Well, seems like its something to work through.  I'll always hug you, Naruto.”

Naruto rolled his eyes at his best friend and chuckled. “100 students though...that seems so...”

“Small?” A small voice asked.

The blond nodded, “Yeah, that's the word Hinata.  How in the hell do they choose?”

Kiba shrugged, digging back into his lunch. “Who knows.  Maybe we'll luck out and not have to go through with it.”

“You don't want to?” Naruto asked, eyeing Hinata's lunch that had a few sweets.

Kiba snorted. “Why in the hell would I want to do all that touchy-feely crap with people who don't like me and people I don't like?”

Naruto passed the flier to his friend and gave him a look. “Because it's supposed to make you more open-minded.  Obviously you need it.”

He rolled his eyes, passing the paper back. “I don't want it.”

“Of course.” Naruto sighed, practically surrendering and handing the paper back to Hinata.

“And you do?” Kiba asked.

Blue eyes flicked up, his fork readied at his mouth. “Yeah, why not?”

“Fuck.”

Naruto rose an eyebrow, chewing his food and talking with his mouth full. “What?”

“Now I have to do it.” Kiba muttered.

The blond laughed, covering his mouth with his hand then promptly wiped it on a napkin.  Before he spoke, he swallowed.  “Why's that?”

“Come on man.  I can't let you do anything alone. What kind of friend would I be?”

“A normal one.” Naruto laughed.

* * *

  
“Are they really serious?” The cheerleader asked, looking at the paper snidely. “Who would want to do that?”

“The losers who don't have any friends.” The blonde replied. 

“There are a lot of those, Ino.” The girl said laughing.  “Like that Hinata girl. Ugh, she's so...just ew.”

The blonde laughed. “I know.  And she stutters, Sakura.  Stutters.  What a moron.”

“I know!

“She's always hanging out with those losers.” Ino said, glancing over the flier.

Sakura snorted. “I know.”

“Can you imagine if we had to hug them?” Ino asked, grabbing her sandwich and taking a bite.

“I don't even want to.” Sakura shuttered.

Ino laughed, passing back the flier. “I'm still curious as to how they're going to choose who is going.”

“I'm not going.” Sakura insisted. “I'll quit the squad before I go to that...thing.”

“I doubt they'll choose either of us Sakura.” Ino insisted. “I mean, we haven't done anything to have to go to something like that.”

The girl nodded. “True.  Let's go freshen up our make-up and not think about it anymore.”

Ino smiled. “Sounds good.”

* * *

  
He walked through the hallway on his way to class; lunch ending and a new period beginning.  History class was next for him, and one of his least favorite subjects.  He fiddled with his ear buds that were plugged into his ears, trying to enjoy the peace for just a little longer.  He looked up just in time to be just short of running in to a large crowd that had gathered on the second floor outside of the cafeteria.

He slowly popped his ear buds out and glanced around the crowd, trying to find a cut through path towards the classrooms.

“What's wrong with how things are now?” A girl hollered.

“Probably students bitching all the time.  You know how the emo kids are.”  One girl replied loudly, smiling when the crowd laughed. “Who wants to talk to freaks like that.”

“Like what?” One teen asked, late in joining the crowd.

“Students, the weird ones.  You know, like that Gaara kid.”

The teen stiffened, fiddling with his ear buds.  He ran a nervous hand through the choppy maroon locks and turned around to go around the long way.  He bent down and grabbed a flier off the ground as he went, glancing over it and letting out a sigh.

His only hope was that he was not part of the select students who had to participate.

* * *

  
Sasuke sighed, standing up when the bell rung at the end of class.  It was finally the end of something that seemed like the longest day in his high school career.  It seemed like he was swamped with after school things that shouldn't have mattered.  He still had to finish up his English essay for his AP class.  He still had to attend a meeting  before heading to the swim practice.  He was still trying to figure out why they had swim teams in the fall.

“Mr. Uchiha?”

Sasuke looked up from organizing papers in his back pack, his long bangs patting his face at the motion.  He straightened himself up when he teacher approached him.

“Sorry to bother you, but I was told to inform you that you are excused from classes tomorrow.”

A dark eyebrow rose in confusion. “I have a test tomorrow.  As well as an important paper due, are you sure?”

The teacher leisurely leaned up again his desk and crossed his arm. “There is going to be an event taking place tomorrow in the gymnasium.  A select group of students will be attending, you being one of them.  You can turn everything else in at another time.  All the teachers have been informed and know of this.”

“What event?  And why was I selected?”

“You'll see tomorrow.  I supposed luck of the draw really.  Just go ahead and leave your bag home tomorrow.”

The teacher pushed off the desk and headed for the door.

“Mr. Hatake?” Sasuke said in a dangerous tone.

“Kakashi.  I prefer my students to just call me Kakashi.  Seems like we're friends.”

“What have you gotten me into this time?”

The teacher waved a hand dismissively as a mischievous small graced his handsome features.

“Nothing major.”

At least Sasuke was wise enough to know Kakashi was a notorious liar and he was indeed, screwed.

* * *

  
The next day was upon them, and as students entered their homeroom, some where immediately sent back out to the gymnasium.  Naruto had already split from Hinata and Kiba with the three of them having separate homerooms.

Naruto's teacher handed him a paper and sent him on his way.  He knew immediately he was chosen for the thing that had been posted all over the fliers.  He would be lying if he said he wasn't excited about getting picked.

The gymnasium was already packed when he got there.  The bleachers were filled with students.  The gym floor was lined with chairs and a few microphone stands were scattered about.

“NARUTO!”

He turned towards the direction of the voice and saw Kiba standing up waving his arm in the air to get his attention.  Hinata, who was sitting next to him, gave a small little wave.  
He made his way up the bleachers with a smile, tripping a little over a student who seemed to refuse to move and was being impolite.

Naruto laughed, clapping Kiba on the shoulder as he reached him. “What do you know, you were selected.”

Kiba glared at his best friend as they both took a seat. “At least you have to suffer with me.”

“How thoughtful of you to say.”

Challenge Day was explained to them.  Or really, explained as much as they decided to listen.  Some, if not more, were wrapped up in the words the group leader was saying.  Others who had attention problems, like Naruto and Kiba, were too busy bickering to notice.

“We're going to ask kids to come up to the microphone now.  This is a chance to stand up for yourself.  Say what you're feeling!  Let these students know how you feel about what they say about you!  An example would be: Just because I'm smart doesn't make me a nerd.  It means I'm a strong student.  Alright!  Now, who wants to come down here?”

Naruto turned when he felt a small tug on his sleeve and he caught sight of Hinata hiding a blush.  He tilted his head to try to get a better look at her face before it dawned on him.

“You want to go down there, don't you?”

She nodded and he nudged her. “Go ahead.”

“I'll go with you Hinata.” Kiba said with a sigh, knowing Naruto didn't get the hint. 

The two stood with Naruto watching after them.  They climbed down the bleachers with the rare students who decided to do this as well.

Naruto was shocked when he realize Hinata was first up considering she was known as the shiest girl in school.  He gave a loud whooping call for encouragement before she started.

“J-just because...just b-because I st-st-stutter doesn't mean I'm dumb.” Hinata said shakily into the microphone. “It just m-means I ha-ha-have to go through m-more pain than you.”

Naruto jumped up in the bleachers, smacking his hand together as loud as he possibly could before whistling loudly.  He didn't care what people thought of him.  Hinata was one of his closest friends and she had been teased for the longest time for her stuttering.  He knew if people ever paused to take the time to get to know her, they'd like her as much as he did.  
He stayed standing as Hinata passed the microphone to Kiba, applauding simply because he was standing there.  It was encouragement.  Despite how outgoing Kiba could be, he had his own shy side.

“Just because I'm on the football team doesn't mean I'm a meat head with no brains.” Kiba announced, the annoyance clear in his voice. “You need higher grades to be on sports teams, so stop saying I'm dumb.”

Naruto applauded loudly again as his friend passed on the microphone to a student Naruto was barely familiar with.  He was sure they went to the same middle school but he couldn't put a name to the face.

“Just because I wear black clothes and listen to different music than you doesn't make me a freak.  It means I'm myself.  I'm still someone with feelings.  I'm still someone who has a family.  I'm still a student.  I'm still just like you.”

It seemed as more people went on, the louder the applause throughout the room became.  It seemed like there were more people who understood just a little.  More people feeling the same feelings.

The next girl up Naruto remembered all the way back to elementary school. 

“Just because I had a kid at seventeen doesn't mean I'm a slut.” The girl almost growled into the microphone. “It doesn't make me a whore or a prostitute.  I'm not dirty or rotten.  I had sex with my boyfriend of three years without protection.  It could have happened to any one of you.  I'm stronger because I took responsibility for it.”

The students sat themselves at the bottom of the bleachers after their small speeches.  It was simply easier than having to climb back through the bleachers to get to their original spots.  
The leader took the microphone again and smiled towards the small cluster in the first row, no doubt silently congratulating them.

“Next up we will be separating all of you into small groups.” She announced.

The crowd broke out in disgruntled chatter before she raised her hand and waved down the noise.

“This is a thing we'd like to call 'If you really knew me...' in which you will divulge information about yourself.  Something like a secret.  It helps to let your peers know who you really are without the blockers of cliques and frontal judgment.  This gives you a chance to bond with your peers and find out that you might not be as alone as you think you are.  That maybe, these people aren't who you saw them as.”

A chatter started in the auditorium amongst the students.  Worry and excitement was evident in their voices.

The woman held up one hand high above her head before speaking into the microphone.  “We'll be choosing your groups.  Try to be in a group with people you aren't friends with.  You'll be checked on by a supervising teacher periodically.  If you have questions or problems, grab an supervisor and ask for help.”

The large group stood up on the bleachers, all of them being directed a different way.  Having been separated from Kiba, Naruto relaxed figuring they'd find each other after this new activity.

There was a line of red shirted group members pointing people in different directions.  It was evident now why all the chairs were there.

A group member pointed him in the direction of the chairs, which wasn't really hard to find.  They were all lined up together.  He figured they'd come by to separate them.

After all hundred students were in a chair, the organization leaders came through and separated them, dividing them up and giving them numbers.

Naruto carried his chair to the group he was put with and was soon joined by Kiba.

The brunette laughed. “Of all people.”

Naruto laughed in return, placing his chair next to Kiba's and taking a seat. “I guess we should tell them and get a different group.”

“Just keep your mouth shut.” A voice snapped.

Naruto looked across the small space separating him and the captain of the cheer leading squad. “Why?  They said people that aren't your friends.  Or could you not hear them through the shell of hairspray?”

The teen glared in return. “Whatever, moron.  I want Ino here and nothing is changing that.  You can keep your smelly friend next to you, so stop bitching.”

Naruto sneered, glancing at Ino who awkwardly took her seat. “You know, if it's that time of the month, you should really wear a warning sign.”

The blond felt a small smack grace his shoulder blade and he tilted his head to see Hinata taking a seat next to him.

Naruto and Kiba turned to start talking to Hinata in hopes they could ignore the two cheerleaders.  They barely looked up as the other two students joined them silently.  One sitting next to  
Sakura and one sitting next to Kiba.  Everyone knew Sasuke and Gaara.  The popular boy and the outcast.

The group heard someone announce for them to start and an awkward air suddenly fell over them.  They weren't sure how to suddenly open up about something deep to perfect strangers and friends who had no clue. A teacher strolled by and said a few words of encouragement before moving on.

Naruto looked to his left and his right and frowned. “Why are you two looking at me?”

Hinata and giggled and Kiba clapped him on the shoulder. “You're the most outgoing, so why don't you go ahead and start.”

Naruto paused, pursing his lips in thought. “So I pretty much have to tell secrets no one knows?  Right?”

Kiba nodded. “Yeah, no big deal.  We all get crap out and then head home.”

“Right...” Naruto mumbled.  “Just whatever secret?”

“Stop questioning it and do it already.” Sakura snapped.

“Chill out, Sakura.” Kiba barked back. “It isn't exactly easy.”

“If...” Naruto faltered. “If you really knew me...”

He clenched his jaw and looked next to him at Kiba, his eyes pleading for help.  The other teen nodded in reassurance.

“Fuck...I don't want to do this.” The blond muttered.  Someone who was usually open with anyone about anything had a few secrets that chased after him after all.

Kiba reached out and put his hand on his friend's shoulder.  He himself, being Naruto's best friend, didn't know what seemed to be plaguing him like a horrible nightmare so suddenly.

“You're fine.” Kiba promised. “Don't worry.”

“If you really knew me you'd know that...” He let out another shaky breath and looked up and glanced around. “Can I just say two and get it out?”

Everyone nodded, no doubt allowing time to pause before their own turns.  Sakura even had a worried look passing across her face.

“I never knew my real parents.” He rushed out.  In his haste to rush through his confessions, he missed the looks that fell on the faces of his fellow students. “Knowing that they gave me up for adoption, I feel like I was and will never be good enough.”

Kiba winced, never knowing his happy-go-lucky friend ever felt like this once.  He was always smiling, always laughing and always seemed happy.  He loved his foster father with all his heart.

Naruto shrugged off Kiba's hand before shaking his head, running a nervous hand through his hair.

“If you really knew me...” He whispered, focusing on the floor.  He sucked in a troubling breath and tried to blink away the forming tears. “You'd know that...you'd know...ugh.”

He threw his head back in frustration, running his hands down his face. “You'd know that I've been hiding my sexuality...and that...I'm actually gay.”

Even though the last part was whispered, everyone heard it.  Eyes fell on Naruto as he had his face buried in his hands and unable to face the group.  He was terrified of the rejection he just knew he would face.  He felt a gentle hand place itself atop his hand and he knew without a doubt that it was Hinata. 

“G-go ahead and continue.” She said lightly to Kiba.

She hoped that Naruto's courage to open up about things that were so personal and secret that the rest of the group would be courageous enough to follow his path.  She even hoped it would kill some of the animosity that swirled between them.

“If you really knew me you'd know that...” Kiba faltered, wincing. “If you really knew me you'd know that I lost all faith in my religion after my sister died because...” He coughed, trying to cover up his voice as he choked up.  “Because I feel like I'm to blame for her death.”

It was at that point Naruto lifted his face to stare at his best friend in shock.  He remembered the whole incident like it happened yesterday and not a year ago.  He just never knew Kiba was suffering like that.

Kiba looked up from staring in a daze at the ground to Gaara and nodded at him. “Go ahead.”

“If you knew me...” Gaara muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. “If you really knew me, you'd know I suffer from OCD.  That if I don't do the things my brain tells me to do, I feel like I'll die.  That everyone around me will die.  Everyone looks at me like I'm going to snap and do something crazy when I act on my impulses.  They laugh at me when I act on my rituals.  It makes me feel like I'm completely alone in my own torment.”

“That's why?” Sakura asked lightly, sitting next to him. “That's why you do those things?  Oh God.”

It was obvious the guilt of picking on Gaara hit her roughly and suddenly.

“Go next.” Gaara muttered.

“If you really knew me you'd know that I'm a rape survivor.” Sakura spoke softly, quickly. “And I'm a survivor, not a victim because I refuse to let to let it ruin me.  But because of this, I don't trust guys.  I'm scared if I'm around them alone.  I act on my anger from the incident by taking it out on those around me.  I...I'm just...jealous that they didn't have to go through that.”

Ino was looking at her with wide eyes, her best friend trying to ignore the stare in embarrassment.

“Sakura...I...”

“You go next.” Sakura mumbled.

“If you really knew me...” Ino started, “You'd know that all my designer clothes and expensive looking shoes are knock offs.  Ones that I only find at Salvation Army because that's the only thing I can afford.  Sometimes, I'm so concerned with how I look that I spend my food money on my clothes.  I want to look good so I still fit in.  I want to fit it so I don't feel so lonely anymore.  I look forward to school because that's the only time I'm guaranteed a meal on their food program.”

There was a moment where Sakura looked like she might yell at Ino, but instead succumbed to tears.  She reached over and grabbed her hand and squeezed.  She turned her teary face towards Hinata and nodded, giving her the go ahead to start.

“I-if you really knew me.” Hinata started, closing her eyes.  She felt a hand place itself on top of hers and she knew it could be no one other than Naruto.  She felt another hand rest on her shoulder and knew it was Kiba.

“Just keep your eyes shut.” Naruto whispered. “It always calms your stuttering when you calm your nerves.”

She nodded, taking in a large breath. “You'd know that I t-tried to commit suicide.  That...that everyday I hate that I failed...in the attempt.”

She sucked in a great breath and opened her eyes, looking at Sasuke and nodding her own head to signal him to start.  For a minute, Naruto didn't think he was going to say anything.  Sasuke might have been the most popular guy at their high school, but he was also well know for being closed off and secretive.

“If you really knew me you'd know...that...I hate everything I have.” Sasuke said quietly. “Because everything we own took my family away.  That...once we got money, we lost love.  Our mansion separated us, the expensive items distracted them, and greed consumed them.  No one is ever there.  I feel...alone.”

The group feel silent, all of them having taken their turn.  Some were hastily wiping away tears or fighting the urge to say something.  A few were fighting the urge to never let go of their friends.  Right before their eyes, in the silence that fell over them, an understanding was formed.  A bond quickly tied in.  A friendship blossomed without them wanting it or seeing it.  They were each others salvation from their festering pain.

 


	2. The Change, The Setback

The students were released at the end of the day. Silently they all split ways and didn't utter another word to each other. They all slept a little less restlessly that night. Then they all felt a little more nervous the next day.  
Naruto rode to school with Hinata like he did everyday. They talked about little things and sang along to a favorite song of theirs. After parking the car in the student lot, Hinata made it clear she didn't want to leave the safety of the confines of her car. 

Naruto, silently agreeing with her, was the one that coaxed her out.

“I'm really nervous too, Hinata.” He said lightly. “But we'll go do this together.”

She gave a small nod and grabbed the handle of the door. The two of them both took a large breath before opening the doors and stepping out.

Naruto winked over the top of the car. “See, we're fine. No spontaneous combustion.”

The girl laughed as she locked up her car and the two of them made their way towards the front of the school. It was crowded as usual. Kids who were lingering around and talking after they got off their buses, and the ones who were just not ready to head inside yet.

They easily spotted Kiba near the line of buses, his bag slung over his shoulder and busily talking to the football team.

The blond waved at his best friend to get his attention, “Hey, Kiba!”

The teen turned away from who he was talking to and looked at Naruto. The blond felt his heart sink somewhere into his stomach at that point. His best friend looked horrified to see him.  
Naruto hesitated in his steps and was only moved forward by the sheer will to follow Hinata. He never thought he'd see the day where he was dreading talking to a life long friend. He tried to think of reasons why Kiba wouldn't want to see him and instantly a million things flashed through his head. Hinata, her voice striking him out of his suddenly crazed thoughts, gave him a soothing answer.

“He's probably nervous after what he said yesterday.”

The blond nodded as he looked at her and they walked on through the crowd of students towards Kiba. It made logical sense. Something like that could make someone nervous or terrified. That was good enough to put Naruto at ease.

They stood by while Kiba finished talking to a few of his teammates before the group disbanded.

Naruto smiled as his friend turned towards him. “Planning an extra practice again?”

“Something like that.”

“You alright?”

He noticed Kiba not being able to make anything close to eye contact. He couldn't even glance in his direction. 

The brunette shrugged. “Fine, why?”

The blond laughed. “You can't even look at me.”

“So what's you point?”

Naruto snapped his head back before turning to look at Hinata, silently asking her what the hell was the problem. She was shaking her head, obviously confused by their friend's off-putting attitude. 

“Was this about yesterday?” Naruto asked suddenly, looking back at Kiba.

The brunette obviously stiffened and his jaw clenched. Naruto moved the strap to his bag awkwardly and shrugged a little.

“Look, I don't care. Those feelings can't be helped.” 

“Yeah, well, I do care.” He bit.

“We don't m-m-mind, Kiba. Honest.” Hinata said suddenly.

“Of course you don't mind Hinata, it doesn't concern you.”

“Whoa. Don't get snappy with her.” Naruto barked.

“Why? She probably knew the whole time.”

“What? How could she know how you feel about your sister?”

Finally Kiba turned his head to actually look at Naruto. “I'm not talking about that, at all.”

“Then what in the fuck are you talking about?”

“You! And what you said!”

The blond shook his head, “What?”

“K-Kiba! Stop!” Hinata said suddenly, catching on before Naruto.

“That you, my best friend is gay, idiot.” Kiba snapped. “You think I'm not supposed to be freaked about by that?”

A horrified look fell on Naruto's face as the realization dawned on him with just how many students were around them. With how many people heard what was said and were now staring. He realized how many people just found out he was gay. He realized that his best friend loathed him.

Hinata grabbed on to Naruto's arm when she saw him ball up his fist, and sensing a fight brewing right before her eyes, she tugged on his arm to lead him away. The blond ducked his face as he let Hinata take him through the crowd of whispering students. 

They were stopped by a sudden hand on each other their shoulders and they turned to find Sakura and Ino right behind them, huffing a little. It was obvious they ran to catch up with them.

“Don't worry, Naruto.” Sakura said suddenly. “You've still got us.”

Ino nodded, giving him a bit of a pained smile. They had both seen what had happened and they had heard it all. They felt for him. Yesterday had unwilling linked them. 

Naruto tried to blink back the tears that had been threatening him every since Kiba had snapped out those words. Just as he fell apart, the least likely people were there to put him back together.  
___________________________________________________________________

The day went by like a blur. 

Whispers followed Naruto throughout the day wherever he went. Threats starting floating through the air when he passed through large crowds of students heading to their next class. He kept his head down all day. He ignored what he could. Sakura and Ino managed to find him nearly after every class with Hinata. He found himself at lunch with the three of them chatting around like nothing was amiss. They laughed and joked with him. The group seemed like they had been friends since they were young. 

He caught Sakura telling off a group of guys at least twice. He saw Ino telling off a few people who were whispering about him early on in the day. He even saw shy little Hinata flip the bird. 

So despite the heavy feelings that were plaguing him, he couldn't help but feel a little lighthearted as he chatted away with them in the lunch line.

“Where do you guys want to sit?” Sakura asked holding her tray.

Ino shrugged. “We can sit at the usual table.”

“We're sitting there.” Naruto said as he pointed towards a nearly empty table.

They all spotted the sole student sitting there, earbuds firmly in place and quietly eating his food. 

Naruto set his tray down opposite of Gaara and waved him out of his trace. His face snapped up and his eyes danced over the group in front of him. Slowly he shut off his music player and plucked out the earbuds.   
The four of them seated themselves like this happened every day. Naruto looked up at Gaara just as he popped the top off of his juice and smiled. 

“What did you get? Tacos or pizza?”

“What?”

“Or did you get the chicken?” Ino asked. 

Gaara tapped the tip of his finger on the edge of his tray, “I got the tacos.”

“Nice!” Naruto laughed. “For school slop, they're good.”

“Did I do something?” Gaara asked suddenly.

“No, why?” Naruto asked, his mouth full of food.

Gaara shrugged, “No one ever sits with me.”

Sakura shrugged back. “Yeah. Things change. What were you listening to?”

Naruto broke out laughing at the confused look that crossed Gaara's face. “I know man, change is confusing.” 

There was a pause where Naruto was betting on Gaara getting up and running the hell away. He was more than surprised when he smirked with a small shake of his head. 

“I was listening to Silversun Pickups.”

“Really?” Ino said, almost spilling her milk. “I love them!”

“Seriously?” Gaara asked skeptically.

Sakura laughed. “Trust me. She puts them on every time she gets in my car.”

“Sounds like Hinata with Coheed and Cambria.” Naruto laughed.

“Th-they sound good!” Hinata defended.

“I know.” Naruto laughed. “Look like cavemen, sing like pretty ladies.”

The group laughed, even Gaara gave a little chuckle. They fell into a long conversation about music and concerts. What they hated and what they loved. At one point Naruto got in a shouting match with Ino with many pointed fingers over a favorite band. Sakura and Hinata were laughing at their antics while Gaara moved his lunch tray out of danger.

“Hey, you know what?” Naruto said after he and Ino were made to put the fight aside. “What's everyone doing after school?”

“Nothing.” Sakura shrugged.

“Same.” Ino said, finishing off her applesauce. 

“Homework.” Gaara said simply. 

“You guys wanna come over and hang out? Me, Hinata and...” Naruto coughed awkwardly and grimaced. “Anyway, usually after school we hang at my house and watch some movies until we remember we have homework.”

“Okay.” Sakura said instantly. “Should we grab some snacks and drinks and stuff?”

“Yeah, theirs a little convenience store right around the corner from my house.”

“What about dinner?” Ino asked.

“We'll order pizza?” He looked over at Gaara. “Is pizza good for you?”

Gaara's eyes grew a little wider than they should have. “Are you sure?”

“Sure of what? I sure as hell like pizza, you don't have to question it.” Naruto laughed. 

“No, I mean...” Gaara fidgeted a little in his seat, his right index finger tapping against his thumb. “Me coming over.”

“Yeah, why not?” 

Gaara shook his head, “Change is confusing.”

Naruto snorted. “Hey, should I invite that Sasuke kid?”

“Yeah!” Sakura said excitedly. “That will be everyone from yesterday! That will be great.”

“What about Kiba?” Gaara asked.

“H-He's busy.” Hinata said quickly.

Gaara didn't question it any further. He could tell by the sudden downfall in moods and changes in their facial expression that something had happened. If they wanted him to know, they'd tell him.

“Who's driving?” Gaara continued on, changing the subject. “I don't have a car.”

“You can ride with Hinata and I.” Naruto said. “Are you and Ino going to ride together?”

“Yeah. We'll follow you.” Sakura said.

The four of them looked to the ceiling when the bell rung. Naruto looked down at his half eaten food and frowned. He grabbed his taco with the intention of eating it all the way to class. The rest of the group, who were also caught up in the conversations, followed his lead. 

“Alright. I'll find Sasuke after school. We can meet in the parking lot. We parked near the gyms back entrance.” 

“I've never been this excited to just sit around and watch movies.” Ino laughed as the group went and put up their trays. 

Despite this spontaneous plan and friendships, all they could do was laugh in agreement.  
________________________________________________________________________

The end of the day came quicker than Naruto expected. He figured with his excitement this high the day would drag on against him. He had already called his dad in between and class and semi-explained what was going on. The most Iruka got out of it was that it was going to cost him money.

It wasn't exactly hard to find Sasuke. All he had to do was ask a few girls where they thought he could be and they easily pointed Naruto in the direction of his last class.  
Naruto lucked out as he found him just outside his classroom, leaving a few minutes after everyone else.

The blond waved him down and stopped in front of him with a bright smile.

“Hey...Sasuke, right?”

The teen nodded, sliding his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Naruto paused, wondering if this bold step forward was more of a leap. Finally, he held out his hand in a greeting gesture.   
For a moment, Naruto figured it wasn't going to be returned, and embarrassed he slowly pulled his hand back. He jumped a little when Sasuke's hand wrapped around his quickly, moving them up and down together.

The blond smiled, laughing a little. “I'm Naruto, if you didn't catch that yesterday.”

Their hands fell apart from each other; Sasuke's returned to his pocket and Naruto's was drug through his hair.

“Uh, well, I got a bunch of us to come back to my place. People from yesterday. We're going to watch some movies or play games or something. You wanna come?”

Naruto paused, wondering if this sounded forward, so out of awkwardness he rambled on.

“You can stay as long as you like or as short. We're picking up some food and drinks on the way. I think we're going to order pizza or something for dinner. Plus!”

Sasuke quickly withdrew his hand from his pocket and held it up to silence him. “Are you always this persistent?”

Naruto shrugged, laughing. “Yeah.”

“I was going to go, you didn't need to convince me.” 

The blond laughed harder, lurching forward and clapping his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. “You're a horrible liar.”

Sasuke pursed his lips. “Who am I following to get to your house?”

Naruto's eyebrows shot up, “Oh! Sakura. I'm riding with her and Ino. Gaara is riding with Hinata.”

“What about Inuzuka?”

Naruto looked away towards the large crowd of students to his left and shrugged. “He has something else to do.”

Sasuke held back a wince. It didn't take a genius to figure out why Kiba wasn't showing up. Despite Sasuke having no attachment to the person in front of him, he couldn't help but feel bad for him. 

“You can ride with me instead.”

Naruto looked back at him and instantly perked up. “Alright, sure. But we have to stop by the store first. Snacks and drinks.”

“That's fine.”

“I talk over the radio.” 

Sasuke shrugged. “I can tune things out.”

Naruto laughed, shaking his head. “Alright. Everyone is waiting for us in the parking lot. Do you need to call your folks and let them know? Ino's mom had to call my dad and stuff so-”

“No, it will be fine.” Sasuke said coldly.

Naruto winced as his mind raced for a topic change. He smiled, lightly punching Sasuke's arm. “Shotgun!”

“You're the only passenger, moron”

The blond stuck his tongue out as he turned to make for the parking lot. “So. Just in case that might change, bastard.”

“Why am I a bastard?” Sasuke questioned, easily catching up to the blond.

“Because I'm the moron, you're the bastard. It's how it works.”

A dark eyebrow solely rose, a million insults and questions rushed through Sasuke's mind in an instant. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged.

“Whatever.”  
_____________________________________________________________________

They arrived at the convenience store in a little over ten minutes. They all piled out of the cars they were traveling in except Gaara. Naruto immediately noticed and walked towards Hinata's car while the rest of the group crowded near the double doors.

The blond leaned in the window, “You coming in or staying in the car?”

Gaara sighed. “I just need to stay in the car. Otherwise I'll be in there forever.”

The blond nodded, not needing to ask questions. “What kind of soda and stuff do you want?”

Gaara dug his hand in his pocket for his wallet, his mind trying to think of what he would prefer. “Whatever soda, but it has to be in a bottle, not a can.”

“Alright.”

“I don't really do chips.” He finished, handing the money out the window.

Naruto stepped away, waving him off as he took a step towards the group waiting for him. “Sorry, can't take it.”

“Why?”

The blond laughed, siding up to Hinata but loudly talking towards the car. “What kind of friend would I be?”

The group piled into the convenience store. Sakura and Ino went towards the drinks, Hinata went towards the candy, and Sasuke and Naruto went towards the chips.

“What kind do you want?” Naruto asked, looking towards Sasuke.

“Whatever. I'll eat what everyone else is eating.”

Naruto reached out and then withdrew his hand. “What are kind are they eating?”

Sasuke gave a simple shrug. “I don't know what everyone likes.”

“SAKURA?”

Sasuke's head dropped, his face connecting to his waiting palm.

He heard Sakura and Ino laugh together. “WHAT?”

“WHAT KIND OF CHIPS DO YOU GUYS WANT?”

“WHAT ABOUT HINATA?” Sakura yelled.

“HEY! YOU KIDS STOP YELLING!”

Naruto started cracking up, on the other side of the small store they could hear Sakura and Ino laughing, and he even heard a small chime from Hinata. He looked at Sasuke who was shaking his head, but unable to contain the small little smile that graced his lips. 

“Bit of a different experience?” Naruto asked, still chuckling.

“A bit is an understatement.”

“Perfect.”  
_______________________________________________________________________

The front of Naruto's house was soon packed with cars. The teens piled out of the cars and grouped together on the lawn while the blond led the way. All of them were sporting their school bags and plastic bags full of junk.   
Naruto balanced a heavy bag of soda while he wrestled his key in the lock and practically kicked open the door. He led the way, mumbling to everyone to follow him. Hinata was the only one who seemed comfortable as she slipped off her shoes and put her school bag on a nearby shelf. It was obvious she had been here more than once.

“DAD! I'M HOME!” Naruto yelled, still standing in the entryway.

“Ah.” Sasuke started. “This is where it all began.”

Naruto laughed, nudging him.

“I HAVE SOME STUFF TO FINISH UP FOR WORK!”

“OKAY! I BROUGHT FRIENDS OVER!”

“GOOD, YOU'LL BE MAKING DINNER THEN, RIGHT?”

“YEAH, DIALING THE WHOLE NUMBER AND EVERYTHING. I GOT YOUR TEA AT THE STORE!”

Naruto tilted his head as a sign for everyone to follow. He led the group as they walked through the small house. He quickly found the dining room and dumped the bags he had on the dining room table before stripping himself of his backpack and dropping it in a chair. 

“Make yourselves comfortable.” He insisted, moving to put the drinks in the refrigerator. “Living room is right through there. Hinata knows where to go.”

The group turned and followed along, Sakura right behind Hinata.

“How long have you known Naruto?” She asked, trying to hold up a light conversation.

Hinata turned into the living room and went straight for her favorite chair which just so happened to be Naruto's as well. “As long as we've all known each other.”

Sakura nodded lightly, not responding verbally.

She could just barely remember all of them meeting in their first grade class. Even back then they were separated by the little things that meant nothing. They grouped off so young and never really gave each other the chance to know each other.

The group took their seats and fell into a rather awkward silence. At first, they were all ready to continue on – excited even – to bond with the group that they connected so well with. The only problem was, they were still a little unsure how.

Naruto on the other hand, finished loading the fridge and piled all the chips into one bag and then hoisted the small snacks under another arm. He turned to find Gaara tapping the tip of his right shoe on the ground, mumbling to himself. A few steps back and forth as well as a frustrated growl.

“You're a counter?” Naruto asked, almost shocked.

Gaara snapped his head up, his face grimacing. He continued to tap his toe on the crack, “How did you know?”

“My dad.” Naruto attempted to point upwards but only managed a shoulder lift with his full hands. “He went through Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy a few years back when he was close to losing me.”

“Its expensive.” 

“Yeah. But, my dad worked something out with the state in court because it cost so much. If they find your OCD bad enough, I'm pretty sure they'll give you the grant. Whenever he comes downstairs I'll ask him about it.”

Gaara nodded, his fingers twitching uncomfortably. “I'll be in there in a minute. I just...”

Naruto cut him off. “Totally understand. Used to take my dad three hours just to leave the house.”

“Sorry.” He muttered.

“Why?” Naruto shrugged. “It's not like you're breaking anything. Oh, and if it is the case, go for that damn clock right there. I hate it but my dad won't get rid of it.”

Gaara chuckled, and Naruto smiled. Gaara looked much better when he was brightened up. “Thank you.”

“Of course. But I was serious about the clock.”

Naruto shuffled awkwardly out of the kitchen, the quite laughter of Gaara trailing behind him and going unheard to the rest of the group. He dumped the things on the table that took up space in the middle of the room and sighed in relief.

“The drinks are getting cold in the fridge. If you want one, grab one.”

“Where's Gaara?” Ino asked. 

“He'll be in here in a little bit. What do you guys want to do?”

“I thought this adventure included movies?” Sasuke inquired, looking over a bookshelf in the corner of the room.

“Yeah, but we aren't starting without Gaara.”

“What about if we pick up where we left off yesterday? But you know, a different topic.” Sakura suggested.

“Man, you guys are gluttons for punishment.” Naruto muttered.

“We don't have to.” Sakura said. “I just thought it would be a good idea.”

“Alright.” Sasuke said with finality.

“Hell, you're in too? Man I'm screwed.” Naruto whined.

“Are you going to start?” Ino asked, looking at Sakura.

“Alright, sure.” She shrugged. “I'll start with a topic.”

“Oh come on!” Naruto hollered. “You name the topic, you answer first.”

“Th-that's fair.” Hinata said lightly

Naruto chuckled. “Go ahead Sakura.”

She laughed. “Well now I don't want to go first.”

“I'm not.” Naruto said immediately.

“N-nope.” Hinata said.

Ino shook her head next to Sakura. Slowly but surely it dawned on Sasuke, as he was inspecting the room quietly, that everyone was staring at him. No doubt they were expecting him to lead this.  
He sighed. He knew deep down he shouldn't have come. It was bad enough getting personal at school.

“What's your biggest fear?” Gaara asked as he entered the room.

The group turned to look at him as he entered the room; except for Naruto who was groaning at the question and pretending to beat his own head in.   
The group accidentally stared as Gaara shuffled back and forth, mumbling under his breath and doing little things they didn't understand. But they quickly and politely turned to stare at Naruto who was still overacting. 

“You f-first.” Hinata announced.

“What?” Naruto sat up straight from his seated position on the floor. “Why? We just said-”

“Too much complaining.” Gaara said simply, sitting down next to him. “I'll go after you.”

Naruto ignored Gaara as he began rearranging stuff on the table and frowned. “If you were going to do this to me, you could have broken the clock.”

Gaara chuckled, tapping the tips of his fingers in a specific order on the table top. “It won't kill you.”

“Duh.” Naruto sighed, leaning forward so his chin rested against the top of the table. “Alright. My biggest fear is that...everyone will figure out just how lonely I am.”

The room fell silent, and slowly he moved his face so his forehead was resting on the tabletop. He let out a low groan and shrugged.

Talking to more the floor than the people in the room, he continued. “But, cat's out of the bag now, huh?”

“Me too.” A voice replied.

Naruto snapped his head up, nearly taking his nose off on the edge of the table. Blue eyes danced around the group, his head turning to the left and right. Everyone was nodding. He grimaced when he noticed Sakura and Ino were tearing up, clutching each others hands to the point of white knuckles. 

“Son, you're supposed to have fun with the guests, not make them upset.” 

Naruto turned on the ground, his adoptive father standing behind him leaning in the doorway. 

“Sorry Iruka. Honestly, its a long story.”

“Better be a good one, too. Young man, you know better than to make girls cry.”

Naruto rolled his eyes as he heard Hinata giggle in the background, no doubt enjoying the usual father-son scolding that happened regularly. 

“Here girls, if you have to use more, I give you permission to beat him up.” Iruka smiled, tossing a small package of tissues that he always carried in his pocket.

“Come on! We're just continuing from the program. Honest. We were all selected.”

“That thing you were talking about yesterday? The, what was it...suicide mission?”

The group laughed as Naruto dramatically fell to the floor with an over-exaggerated sigh. “It wasn't as bad as I thought actually.”

“Well good. Have a good time kids, I'll be upstairs finishing some work. Come get me when you order pizza.”

Sakura giggled as Naruto reached out and gave his dad a sloppy high-five and stood with Ino. “We're going to go fix the smudges under our eyes. Where's your bathroom?”

“I'll s-show you.” Hinata announced, fingering the area under her eyes as well.

The girls left the room as Iruka moved out of the way to let them by. Naruto shot up from his spot and waved his arms like signaling an airplane. “Wait! Can you talk to Gaara about the therapy you did for the OCD? How you got the money from the state and all that?”

Iruka smiled, “Of course. I'm making some tea if you want to come in the kitchen Gaara.”

The blond turned towards him and nodded. “I swear, the worst he can do to you is over-feed you.”

Gaara nodded, slowly getting up and following behind Iruka into the kitchen. Naruto smiled when he heard the low hums of their conversation drifting into the room. The blond stood, stretching his arms over his head and arching his back with an appreciative sigh. 

He noticed Sasuke standing in front of one of the many bookshelves that littered his house and went to stand next to him, his hands digging into his pockets uncomfortably. 

“My dad reads a lot. There's no stopping him once he enters a bookstore I tell you.”

Sasuke snorted. “My brother used to be like that.”

The blond chuckled. “Bookworms.”

“You know something?” Sasuke said suddenly, almost mumbling. “I thought I was the only one.”

Naruto gave him a curious glance before looking over the new additions to the bookshelf he hadn't noticed until now. “What's that?”

“That had that secret and fear.”

The blond made a sound of understanding before rocking on the balls of his feet and gave a little shrug. “Well...maybe we won't be that lonely anymore.”

The girls walked back into the room at that moment with their hands filled with glasses of soda. Gaara was right behind them with Iruka who was jotting down a few numbers on a slip of paper.   
The group all came together to gather around the table; Naruto opening bags of chips and Iruka setting out coasters. 

Sasuke shrugged next to the blond, grabbing a chip. “Yeah, maybe not.”


	3. The Setback, The Promise

The next day didn't start as it usually did. 

When Naruto and Hinata pulled up, Sakura and Ino pulled into the spot next to them. They greeted each other like this was an everyday occurrence; with hugs and waves and loud chattering. Sakura started talking about the movies they had watched last night and Ino complained about how she would have to finish her homework in her first period. Naruto spotted Gaara getting off a bus and flagged him down and shouted at an embarrassing level. The girls laughed at him when Gaara gave him a funny look before he smirked. They even managed to drag Sasuke into their group when they spotted him walking by himself through the parking lot.

They carried on together all day. They bumped into each other after some classes and talked until they were late. They all sat together again at lunch. Without really realizing it and not thinking about denying it, they were quickly falling into a comfortable routine together. 

Naruto broke off from Sakura and Gaara at the end of the day when they all had left class at the same time on coincidence. They agreed to meet in the student parking lot after school to make plans together.  
Of course, despite how amazing he felt the day was going, not all good things last. Just as we was rounding a corner on his way back to class he collided with a fellow student. A fellow student and friend.

Naruto felt like his insides froze when he realized it was Kiba, and the two of them went rigid across from each other. The blond immediately shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around them in the hall to find it deserted. 

“Can we talk?” Naruto mumbled.

Kiba mimicked Naruto and uncomfortably shoved his hands in his pockets and barely nodded, checking around to see if anyone was around them.

“Are you seriously done talking to me?” The blond questioned.

“Right now, or period?”

“In general. As in we're not going to be friends anymore and all those years of my life have been wasted on a fake person.”

“Fake?” Kiba asked incredulously. “You're the one who's fake!”

“How?” Naruto demanded. “Because I hid something like that from you in fear that this would happen?”

“You lied to me for years.” Kiba pointed out, turning to look at him. “Not over something stupid, either. Something important. How do I know you haven't been like, hitting on me or some crap. Or our friends? What is everyone going to think about us? I don't know if I can be friends with you after that!”

“And you can't blame me? You, Mr. Homophobic. How was I supposed to tell you I was gay?”

“I don't know. Just be straight with me.”

“Fine.” Naruto growled. “I'll be fucking straight with you. You're a judgmental asshole that can't take his head out of his vagina for five seconds to see that he's throwing away his best friend. You're so in to what other people think of you, you don't care who you lose in the process. I would never hit on you Kiba because you are not; in anyway, shape or form, attractive.”

The blond pushed past Kiba at that moment, making sure to bump his shoulder as hard as possible before storming on. He was mad and upset. He was furious and broken. He lost his best friend because he was being truthful and himself. 

Naruto swiped under his eyes angrily with one of his hands as he marched on. He pulled his hood up over his head as the final bell rung and signaled everyone to leave class. The last thing he needed at this point was to be a known crybaby alongside being the schools mascot for homosexuality. 

So concerned was he that someone would spot the tears, he ran straight into another random student who was just minding their own business. Naruto swiped his fingertips under his eyes one last time before he torn down his hood and started apologizing.

“Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Are you-”

“Figures.” Sasuke sighed out.

Naruto sighed, rolling his eyes; of all people to run into it just had to be Sasuke.

“Sorry.” The blond muttered.

“Are you alright?” Sasuke questioned, but managed without a tone of concern.

The blond shrugged, intent on staring at the ground. “Great man. Catch you later, yeah?”

Naruto tried to turn and walk away but was stopped by Sasuke's hand that wrapped around his upper arm.

“What's wrong? You aren't alright.”

“I'm fine.” Naruto protested, refusing to turn and look at him.

“Then look at me.” Sasuke practically commanded. 

“Now I really wish you hadn't done the program.” Naruto said with a sad chuckle. “You would have just told me off and went about your day.”

“Would you just shut up and look at me?”  
The blond turned slowly, yanking his arm out of Sasuke's painful grasp. His face was facing Sasuke, but his eyes were staring at a wall off to the side. It was embarrassing facing someone who seemed so stony and impassive and your face was stained with tear tracks.

“What happened with Kiba?” He asked suddenly.

Blue eyes snapped to attention and were immediately faced with dark pools that were holding a twinge of concern.

“How did you know I was with Kiba?”

“I saw the two of you when I was leaving class early. What happened?”

“Long story.” Naruto muttered.

“What happened?” Sasuke repeated.

“It's nothing.”

Sasuke re-wrapped his hand around Naruto upper arm and proceeded to drag him through the swarm of students that were rushing to get out of school. The two of them were bumped, pushed and shoved but Sasuke's grip never lessened.

“Sasuke!” Naruto barked, trying to rip his arm away.

His grip tightened as he rushed Naruto along behind him, the blond stumbling over his own two feet as he tried to keep up. They found their way outside and Naruto was thankful the trip down the cement stairs went without falter. He finally gave in and jogged slightly to keep up with Sasuke's pace when he noticed they were nearing the student parking lot.

They stopped next to Sasuke's car and the most expensive in the lot. Everyone in the school knew it was his. It was always parked in the back as far away from the other cars as he could muster. Which also meant not many students were loitering near it after school.

Sasuke finally released is death grip and left Naruto rubbing the sore spot through his hoodie.

“Why are you crying?”

“I'm not.” Naruto rightly defended. 

“You were.” Sasuke pointed out.

“Yeah, and the whole thing you wouldn't understand. So can we drop it?”

“Didn't you learn the other day that we understand each other more than we thought?”

Naruto shrugged, shoving his hands in the confines of his hoodie pocket. “Well, yeah. I just didn't think you of all people were taking the program to heart.”

“Because me sharing my feelings happens on a regular basis.” Sasuke replied sarcastically.

Naruto reached back and pulled his hood over his head and then mumbled something under his breath. Sasuke cleared his throat signaling that he didn't hear him. 

“He doesn't know...Kiba doesn't know if he wants to be friends anymore.”

“Why?” Sasuke pushed.

“I don't know. Must be a really strong male pride thing or something. He can't even be around me for five seconds without getting freaked.”

“He'll get over it.” Sasuke reassured him.

Naruto shook his head and continued studying the ground, bouncing one of his legs to show his increasing anxiety. “I don't think so. Not this time.”

“Naruto.” Sasuke sighed. “He's your best friend, right?”

The blond nodded, refusing anymore acknowledgment.

“Then it will work out. But wipe your face, the girls are coming over here.”

Naruto peaked his head up quickly at Sasuke, shock evident in his features. Small lines of tears were traveling down his tan face. He figured if he couldn't see them, he wouldn't be able to tell. It was why he had hid his face. He quickly wiped under his eyes with his sleeves and finished just in time.

“Naruto?”

The blond turned, facing Sakura and Ino with the two of them looking on the verge of tears.

“What's wrong?”

He reached out towards the both of them, gently grabbing at their arms as concern filled his face.

Ino groaned and Sakura sniffled. “We just...needed to tell you something.”

Naruto swallowed, worrying slightly. “Alright, just tell me what's wrong.”

“We've just sat down and talked to Gaara and Hinata.” Ino started. “We needed to talk to you too. Naruto, we're so sorry with how we treated you in the past.”

“We were horrible to you.” Sakura continued.

“You didn't deserve it at all.”

“You're so nice.” Sakura said shakily.

“And you have difficulties just like us.”

Naruto laughed, squeezing their arms and taking a step forward, giving them both a sloppy hug. He pulled back, smiling.

“It's in the past guys. Don't let the guilt ride you, alright. We're friends now.”

Sakura and Ino both groaned before launching forward and wrapping their arms around him, crying and laughing at the same time. Naruto was mumbling words of comfort to the girls, messing with their hair and poking at their faces. 

The three of them pulled back from each other and Naruto quickly wiped under their eyes while they laughed.

Sakura turned and faced Sasuke, her hand still resting on Naruto's forearm. “Look, I'm treating everyone to pizza down the street. I know it isn't much, but it's a small token. Will you come with us? Both of you?”

Naruto nodded looking over the girls and glancing at Sasuke. He wanted him to come along despite the twenty questions from hell.

“Yeah, that's fine. We'll meet you there.”

“Alright, we'll see you there. Hinata and Gaara are riding with us.”

Sasuke nodded and Naruto waved as the girls parted and went back down the parking lot towards their car, where no doubt, the other two were waiting for them.

“I don't think being best friends will help.” Naruto said suddenly, watching the girls walk down the parking lot. “Being gay is a big deal to a lot of people.”

“Tell me about it.” Sasuke muttered.

The blond laughed, nudging Sasuke in the side. “Sorry. You seem to keep getting dragged into this and have to hear it. My bad.”

Sasuke looked down towards the ground, pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “What an idiot.” He mumbled.  
__________________________________________________________________

Sasuke didn't ask about Kiba after that. Naruto was thankful. Silently he hoped Sasuke understood that the fight was still hurting him and he just needed to take a break from thinking about it even more.

He figured Sasuke got the hint when instead of pushing the subject of the matter further, he simply turned on the car radio. Naruto swayed his head to the music and hummed out of tune while Sasuke occasionally turned to glare at him. He never complained so Naruto never stopped.

They arrived at the pizza place just as Sakura and the rest were getting out of her car. The blond nudged Sasuke as soon as they met again side by side outside of Sasuke's car and laughed a little. 

“This feels like we're starting something permanent, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“Us.” Naruto said, pointing between the two groups as they walked towards each other. “It feels like this is meant to last a long time.”

Somewhere, deep down, where Sasuke didn't have to admit it out loud; he silently hoped it did.

-00----------------------------00-

Three whole pizzas and nine pitchers of soda later, the group left. Sakura and Ino had plans with the cheer leading squad. Hinata had to head home for her cousin's birthday. Gaara had a doctor's appointment.

Naruto bumped Sakura's shoulder on purpose. “What are you doing this weekend? Like, starting tonight after cheer-cult meet up?”

She shook her head and shrugged. “Nothing. You have an idea?”

“Yeah. My dad is heading out of town for business and he said I could have friends over as long as we don't get crazy. Which defines itself as no parties. I wanted to see if you guys all just wanted to come and spend the night. Movies and pizzas, you know?”

Ino smiled. “Aren't we a little old to have slumber parties?”

“It's not a slumber party!” Naruto insisted. “It's hanging out.”

“He won't have a problem with girls coming?” Sakura asked.

“No. He trusts me.” The blond said. “He knows we aren't going to get into trouble. Though, when I told him about the idea he stressed that I tell you it was alright to beat me if I make you cry.”

The group laughed and Naruto grumbled, not finding it funny at all. He knew his father was serious with letting a few girls beat him senseless if he made them cry.

“Girls get beds separate from the guys in the living room. You know, being polite and making sure you're comfortable.” 

“I-Iruka?” Hinata asked with a smile.

“Yeah. I got another sex talk out of it, too. What does that make it Hina? Over twenty?”

She was laughing while she nodded and then she shook her head. It was just like Iruka. She was still surprised the over protective father was fine with a group of kids he was unfamiliar with were going to be spending the night there. She was betting family friends would be stopping by as well as he would be questioning her upon arriving home. He knew Hinata couldn't lie.

“But I understand if some parents aren't cool with it.” Naruto said suddenly. “But Iruka is willing to talk to them before he leaves in a few hours. No doubt insure them of his plans of spy neighbors and randomly appearing family friends.”

Naruto passed out his father's cell number happily and everyone took the time to exchange their own numbers. He was surprised everyone was agreeing to the plan. Even Sasuke.

“Tell Neji I'm sorry, Hinata. I have to go clean up the house. But tell him he's welcome to come!”

She nodded and waved as the group of Ino, Sakura, Gaara and herself walked back towards Sakura's car. 

Naruto elbowed Sasuke lightly and turned to look at him. “Want to help me clean?”

Sasuke snorted at the wiggling eyebrows and turned towards his car, leaving Naruto behind. “Why not...?”

The blond jogged up to the other side of Sasuke car, shock clearly written on his face. “What? Seriously?”

“I have nothing better to do.”

“Well, gee. I'm oh so excited to spend time with you as well, bastard.”

“Whatever moron, just get in the car.”

“Hey, by the way...” Naruto said as he yanked his seat belt on. “Do you want Iruka to call once we get to my house? You didn't get his number.”

“No. It will be fine.”

The blond squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as Sasuke reversed out of the parking space. “Do you need to drop by your house to grab stuff?”

“I'll go later.”

“Why, we're already out?”

“No.”

Naruto huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the window as the pizza shop disappeared from view.

“You know, you make me open up and you can't even do the tiny thing of taking me with you to your house. Friendship is like a partnership, there is supposed to be an equal amount of everything. That includes letting each other into each others lives. Not being selfish.”

Sasuke glared out the windshield as they idled at stop light. He stayed silent and Naruto snorted lightly.

“Sucks to be wrong, doesn't it?”

“Did I say you were right?” Sasuke snapped back.

The blond rolled his eyes and huffed when Sasuke turned the car stereo up. Sky blue eyes were reflected in the glass of the car window as he watched the passing scenery, too annoyed to try and strike up another conversation with Sasuke. He figured the teen was simply going to drop him off at his house and call it a day. 

So when they took an unfamiliar turn in a direction that wasn't in any relation to Naruto's house, the blond would admit he got confused.

As soon as they immediately pulled into an unfamiliar driveway just a few short minutes away from the pizza place, he knew Sasuke had taken them to his house. 

As they road up the long driveway Naruto turned to stare at Sasuke, trying to study his face to catch a feel for his emotions. Not one to give up with Sasuke's face set in stone, he decided to provoke him. Like an idiot.

“Actions are better than words. This is just as good as admitting I was right.”

A blaze of black glared at him, fueled with anger and what Naruto was undoubtedly sure was nerves and confusion; the blond sank back into his seat in the car.

“The lawn looks nice.” Naruto commented absently as the car was shoved in park.

“Come on, I want to make this quick.” Sasuke grumbled.

Naruto undid his seat belt as he glanced at his phone, Iruka texting him about already talking to a few parents and how he'd appreciate a warning next time. He figured his friends would let him know somehow that they could come or not. Everyone had each others numbers now.

Naruto tripped over his own feet a little and jogged to catch up with Sasuke who seemed to be power walking.

Sasuke was brisk in opening the door and sliding off his shoes before continuing on; Naruto hopped around trying to yank his shoes off and run to catch up. They passed by two cleaning ladies who stopped to smile and wave at Sasuke who nodded back politely.

Naruto scanned the walls and opened rooms or anything blue eyes could land on as he tried to keep up with Sasuke. There was art spaced out on the walls in thick decorative frames. A few small tables were placed it seemed, to take up space. There was a strip of carpet down the middle of the hardwood hallway. The lights that littered the ceiling were the only things that looked practical and non-expensive. That was, until Naruto realized they were motion-sensor. 

He paused briefly while walking past one door that was open wide when he caught site of someone sitting at a large desk. To Naruto, he looked like Sasuke in a few years time. He figured it was a close relative like a brother. It was probably the brother Sasuke had mentioned. He was so wrapped up in whatever work he was doing at his desk that he missed Naruto squawking when Sasuke yanked him down the hall with him after the short stop.

“Who was that?” The blond asked as he tried to free his wrist, but to no avail.

“My brother.” Sasuke said quickly, still marching down the hall.

Naruto looked behind him as he was being dragged along. “Oh! The bookworm, right?”

“No, the workaholic.” 

Naruto frowned at Sasuke's clipped tone and short answers. The grip on his wrist disappeared suddenly, which left him rubbing the spot that was now slightly sore.

The blond shuffled his feet, feeling a little awkward as Sasuke walked around his room and gathered the things he needed. Naruto didn't know what to talk about but felt like the silence needed to be filled.  
Despite knowing the subject was touchy and damn near murder inducing, Naruto decided to try anyway.

“So...uh...do I get to meet your rents?” Naruto shrugged.

“No.”

“Oh. They not home?” The blond continued.

“I'm not sure.” Sasuke replied honestly.

Naruto laughed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I don't know if they're home or not.”

Naruto shrugged. “When was the last time you talked to them, anyway?”

“Two...three, maybe?” Sasuke questioned more to himself than anyone.

“What, days? My dad always loves those days.” Naruto laughed.

Sasuke shook his head, stuffing random bits of clothes in a bag. “No, months.”

“Uh...what about your brother?”

“I talk to him everyday.”

“Oh!” Naruto smiled. “See that's good.”

“We always leave the house at the same time, so it's unavoidable.”

“Well why don't you go talk to him now? He's home.”

“I can't.” Sasuke sighed. “Itachi's working. I'm not allowed to disturb him while he's working.”

“Ready?” Naruto muttered, just letting it go.

“Yeah.”

Sasuke slung his bag over his shoulder and the two of them left in silence. Naruto quietly followed behind Sasuke as he led them out of the house. He barely glance into the random office where he had spotted Itachi when they walked by. He almost said something to Sasuke when he noticed Itachi looking up from his work, his mouth opened like he was going to say something.  
But when Itachi turned his face back to his work, he kept his mouth shut and continued to follow him. They were in the car before they knew it. Naruto stared out the window while Sasuke drove to his house, occasionally double checking his directions. 

Otherwise, the only comfort noise was the music that played on in the background. It was an alternative band Iruka would listen to a lot when he thought Naruto wasn't around.  
Just as Naruto started to lightly sing along, Sasuke pulled up in front of Naruto's house. He quickly shut the car off and Naruto's singing faded off. 

“Don't worry.” The blond said suddenly after neither of them had made a move to get out.

“About?”

“Being lonely.” Naruto said, still staring out the window. “You won't be that lonely anymore.”

“Just drop it.” Sasuke muttered, cracking open his door.

The blond turned and looked at him, his face set seriously. Their eyes locked and for a moment, Naruto swore he could see the guard Sasuke had up in his eyes. 

“I promise.” Naruto whispered. 

“Let's go clean, moron.”

“Fine, bastard.”


	4. The Promise, The Trigger

Sasuke and Naruto cleaned the house in record time. It was only because after Naruto pegged Sasuke with a roll of paper towels and Sasuke beamed him in retaliation with a bottle, Iruka came down. Mid way to getting packed and swearing he was going to run late, he shouted out orders like a drill instructor. 

Naruto had to forget to mention that Iruka could be irrational when it came to cleaning.

Naruto and Sasuke helped Iruka drag his luggage to his car and Naruto quoted the rules while Iruka was getting himself into the car.

“A few people will be stopping by.” He promised, leaning out the window. “Sasuke, you'll probably be familiar with one of them. He's a teacher at your school.”

Sasuke gave a curious glance in Naruto's direction and the blond held back a grimace, causing his lip to twitch. “Kakashi? The history teacher?”

It took all of Sasuke's will power to hold in a groan.

“Asuma is going to be stopping by, as well as Tsunade, and I think Mr. Sarutobi is going to be as well.”

“Okay dad.” Naruto said.

“I left you money to get food and stuff for you and your friends. Leave the emergency money alone. Pizza isn't an emergency.”

The blond laughed. “Alright pop.”

“I talked to all the parents and promised our wonderful supervising visitors would give them a call and give them updates. Everyone's house number is by the phone, except yours Sasuke. Just give it to them when they arrive.”

“We understand dad.” Naruto said dully, ready for his father to leave already.

“I left all the numbers you can reach me by the phone as well. And remember-”

“Dad!” Naruto whined. “I know.”

Iruka turned just as he caught sight of Hinata's car pulling up behind him, and Naruto was excited to see she had Gaara with her. He was a little terrified to see Neji had come. 

“Alright. Have fun son.”

“Bring home the bacon dad.”

Iruka laughed as he cranked on his car. “Love you! Be safe!”

“Love you too!”

Naruto waved as his dad drove off the street and didn't turn to face his friends till his father's car was out of sight. 

“Hey Neji. Long time no see.”

The older teen nodded, standing closely next to Hinata. 

The blond sighed. “Asides me, these are the two guys are staying. The usual people will be dropping by to check on us. We have emergency numbers and emergency money. The girls are going to be sleeping separate from the guys. Promise.”

“Good.” He turned to his cousin and gave a feeble attempt at a smile. “Thank you for letting me borrow your car. Call when you need to get picked up or if you need anything.”

“What happened to your car?” Naruto asked suddenly.

Neji sighed, taking the keys from his little cousin. “The brakes need replacing and I'm getting new tires.”

“Good, as long as it isn't serious.” 

Neji nodded his thanks for Naruto's concern and turned back towards Hinata's car and drove off without so much as another word.

“Good to see he's a much happier person.” Naruto mumbled sarcastically. “Still as protective as ever.”

“M-more s-s-so.” She giggled. 

“Why do you say that?” The blond asked, grabbing Hinata's bag and leading the group back towards the house.

“He t-t-ried to give m-me a knife.”

Naruto burst into a fit of laughter upon opening the door of the house and dragging the group along with him. Hinata took her bag and headed for Naruto's room where she knew the girls would be staying. The guys brought their bags into the living room where Naruto and Sasuke had already loaded it with blankets, pillows and sleeping bags. 

“So your parents were cool with it?” Naruto asked.

Gaara nodded. “They were too grateful towards your father with the information he gave us to help me. They couldn't say no.”

“Bitchin'.” Naruto grinned. “Look, you choose where you want your stuff to go first. I want you to make sure you're comfortable so your anxiety doesn't go overboard and then your impulses get out of hand or something.”

Gaara nodded his thanks. “I brought some anxiety medication in case it gets too bad.”

“Where do you want to put it?” Naruto asked, taking the bottle Gaara had fished from his pocket.

“Somewhere close to you.” He muttered. “I trust you to know when I need to take it. I can get stubborn.”

The blond laughed, shoving the bottle in his pocket. “Sounds good.”

“Moron...the other girls are here.” Sasuke said, elbowing Naruto and pointing out the window.

“Be a man and help them?”

Sasuke sighed, tossing Naruto a dirty look before turning and heading out the room and walking out the front door. 

“Mind if I ask something?” Gaara said suddenly, ticking off his fingers in a certain order.

“Sure.” Naruto chirped. 

“What happened with Kiba?” He asked. “You don't have to answer.”

The blond shrugged. “He isn't exactly thrilled with finding out that I'm gay. It's hard on some people.”

“Why?” Gaara asked. “You're still you.”

The blond laughed and shook his head. “Thank goodness you can grasp that concept.”

“Of course.” He muttered. “If you weren't yourself, I'd still be all alone.”

The blond went to reply earnestly, saying how much that meant to him, but their privet moment was interrupted by Sasuke, Sakura and Ino walking in. 

The blond smiled at Gaara and nodded in silent thanks before taking the girls upstairs to help them get settled. 

Everyone was finally there.

Everyone that meant everything.  
_______________________________________________________________________

After Naruto decided five in the evening was the best time for pajamas, everyone had piled into the living room dressed to impress their pillows. Sasuke began giving Naruto hell for his orange, yellow and green socks that were bright enough to blind him apparently. Hinata and Ino had traded slippers. Gaara had lent Sakura a shirt when she realized she brought the wrong pajama shirt. 

Tsunade had already stopped by, and to Naruto's surprise, brought more junk food and sodas. She double checked that the girls were feeling safe and were going to be sleeping in the other room before using the phone to call everyone's house. Sasuke had easily talked his way out of Tsunade not calling.

She said Asuma was going to drop by on his way home from work to double check everything and she wasn't sure about their well known history teacher. He loved surprises too much to tell.  
Naruto walked back into the living room after he politely walked Tsunade to her car.

“So what now, guys? Junk food, more junk food and maybe a little bit of a movie?” Naruto chuckled.

“I was looking forward to some junk food, actually.” Sakura replied. 

“Well do you think we might be able to get some?” Ino chuckled.

“He-here? No.” Hinata smiled.

“Damn.” Gaara muttered. “Drawn in with false hope of horribly bad but tasty food. Naruto, you asshole.”

Sasuke sighed, “Looks like we'll just have to kill you.”

Sakura shrugged. “Well, I'm in no mood to really kill someone. Too happy. But I'll be glad to help you bury the body.”

“Hmm.” Ino grinned, tapping her chin.

“What are we going to need?” Gaara smirked.

Hinata shrugged. “A sh-shovel for one.”

“Boots, gloves, aprons, acid and something to light you on fire to be safe. You seem to eat to much to decompose like I want.” Sasuke said in a dead tone.

“You know, Sasuke, I figured only you would know what you need to murder someone.” Naruto laughed. “But you forgot one key thing.”

“That would be?”

“Ice cream.” Naruto deadpanned. “Murder is insanely pointless if you don't get ice cream afterward. I'm disappointed in you to forget something so important.”

The group began laughing loudly when Sasuke's palm met his forehead at the statement he deemed stupid. Only Naruto would want to talk about food after someone mentioned murder and decomposition.   
The hours ticked on along with the mindless television and talking. Random conversations over anything that they could think to talk about. Someone seemed to change the channel every ten minutes.  
Naruto finally dug out a stack of DVDs and held a voting process to see which would be the one they would watch. 

Due to Sasuke refusing to participate in the voting, the girls swept the floor. 

Naruto sighed. “Alright, kid movie it is.”

“At least it's a good one. Not one of the ones you go back and watch and wonder why in the hell you liked it in the first place.” Gaara said.

“Agreed!” Sakura said, throwing up her hand in the air. “I hate that. Its like your childhood memories get kicked a little.”

Naruto popped in the DVD and jumped back on his place on the couch, settling comfortably into the soft cushions. He passed a new soda to Hinata as she tossed him a candy bar. Ino and Sakura threw their legs over each other sloppily and comfortably as they shared a bowl of popcorn on the rest of the couch. Gaara was fiddling with something on the floor where he lay on a laid out blanket.  
Sasuke stood from the loveseat silently as the previews at the beginning of the DVD played.

Naruto spoke up. “Where are you going? The bathroom is to the left, bastard.”

Sasuke turned and shook his head lightly. “I'm going outside to make a phone call, moron.”

The blond glared in his direction as he heard the front door open and close, the group lightly chattering about the previews to movies from when they were young.   
Blue eyes found Sasuke's bag from school, just were he left it. The blond frowned when he noticed Sasuke's cell phone sticking out from the top.

“I'll be right back.” Naruto muttered as he followed Sasuke's path out the front door, leaving everyone else behind in his house.

Naruto caught the sight of Sasuke's headlights on his car shining and heard the engine purring lightly.  
Nartuo jogged barefoot up to Sasuke's car. He cursed as each step connected his feet with sharp acorns that had fallen from the sole tree in the front yard. He smacked his hands on the glass of the passenger window and watched as Sasuke barely flinched from the surprise. 

He yanked the car door open just before Sasuke managed to lock it.

He bent his face in the open door and gave him a funny look. “It's polite when a guest tells people he's leaving. A phone call? Man, I thought I was the moron out of the duo. You're screwing up big time.”

“I'll be back.” Sasuke sighed out.

“Don't let me keep you, jackass.”

Sasuke turned and gave Naruto a foul look. “What's with the damn attitude? I said I'll be right back.”

“Because if you didn't want to come in the first place, you should have said so. If you were going to skip out, you could have at least told me. Damn, you really are a bastard.”

Naruto straightened up and slammed the door shut, immediately turning around and ready to march the hellish front yard. He just couldn't resist the urge to stop when Sasuke's car door opened after the car shut off.  
Sasuke threw his arm on the top of his car and glared at the blond.

“Look, I can't watch that movie, alright?”

“Why?” Naruto asked skeptically.

“I've opened up to you today more than anyone in my life. Can't you be satisfied with that?”

“No.”

“Well, too damn bad moron.”

Blue eyes rolled and tan hands were tossed in the air. “It's a damn movie. Really? Get over yourself.”

“Have you ever had something that triggered a memory? A smell? A song? A book? A movie?”

Naruto shrugged. “Yeah, of course.”

“Were they all always fun and happy memories?”

Sasuke could just barely see through the dim outside lighting. But he caught Naruto's body sagging in realization and defeat.

Naruto took the few steps back to the car, holding in his curses with each step. He stopped and turned with his back gently leaning into the car that took up his driveway. He leaned his head back until it uncomfortably set on the top of the car. 

“Every time.” Naruto sighed. He turned his head slightly towards the direction of Sasuke, his eyes stayed locked on the sky. “Every time on a night like this...man. You know, when there is only a few clouds in the sky? The air is chilled but not cold. There is barely a breeze that just constantly brushes you. Its horribly quiet, you know, even the crickets aren't singing? That's my trigger.”

The blond jumped, jerking his head up and twisting his upper half around when Sasuke slammed his car door shut.

“Then go inside.”

The blond shrugged. “It isn't my favorite movie anyway.”

“Stop, Naruto.”

The blond chuckled, turning his face back to the sky. “That's a change, my name instead of moron. Stop what, anyway?”

“If it's a bad memory that it triggers, then go inside.”

The blond sighed, “Why, then you're there with yours?”

“Why do you do that?” Sasuke asked suddenly.

“Do what?”

“Put others far before yourself.”

Naruto shrugged. “Maybe it's kinda like the same reason you don't want to let others in on your life. You know? We don't...hmm, how do I put it into words?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he leaned back against the car next to Naruto and bumped his shoulder. “We don't want to get hurt. In our own ways.”

Naruto turned and smiled at him brightly, “I might have you become a non-bastard yet, Sasuke. You being open and all.”

Sasuke shook his head. “You truly are a glutton for punishment.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“It's a difficult task, moron.”

“Meh.” Naruto shrugged indifferently. “Can I ask you one last thing, and then I swear I'll stop asking.”

Sasuke snorted. “What, for the night?”

“Yeah, duh.”

“Just get it over with.”

“Why the movie?”

Sasuke lips twitched, itching to fight to explain why. Instead he decided otherwise. “It was the very last movie my family watched together. There was a really bad storm, I was six and I hated the thunder.”

“You were scared.” Naruto corrected. Sasuke glared back.

“It was the very last time my parents told me they loved me. It was the last time my mother ever tucked me into bed and the last night Itachi came into my room to read me my favorite bed time story. He used to act it out with me. It was the last night in our old house before we moved to the new one. Before we stopped being a family and just became roommates.” 

“The last night of not being lonely. Of being happy.” Naruto muttered.

The silence was enough of an answer for Naruto and he nudged Sasuke's shoulder with his on purpose.

“Remember, bastard. I promised you won't feel like that anymore.”

“Yeah, I know, you're here to insure I have an everlasting headache.”

Naruto chuckled and kicked off the car and shouted over his shoulder. “Lets go put on a new movie and crack open some new sodas.”

In the dim lighting, Naruto missed the rare occurrence of a small smile as it graced Sasuke's lips, just as he kicked off his car and followed Naruto into the house.  
_______________________________________________________________________

No one really meant to fall asleep where they were, they fully intended to follow the rules that were set, but sleep happens. Asuma said so as he stopped by and found half the group passed out. Hinata was curled up in the chair under Naruto's favorite blanket. Sakura and Ino were leaning against each other on the couch covered in the blanket Gaara threw over them when he realized they were asleep.   
Gaara was on the floor closest to the hallway, curled up in his sleeping bag lying on his stomach. He went out trying to finish a movie. 

Naruto laid in the dead middle of the floor, facing the television that was now turned down to a lower level. Sasuke had his space set up next to him from where he was originally sitting. Naruto was the space invader.

“Hey, moron.” Sasuke whispered in the room full of light snores and deep breathing.

“What if I was asleep?” Naruto whispered back, rolling over to face Sasuke instead of the quiet television.

“With all the caffeine and sugar you ingested tonight? I doubt you'll sleep for a week.”

“High tolerance, I got a few more minutes – max.”

Sasuke couldn't help the snort of humor at the blond's quick retort. “One last question.”

“For the night?” Naruto mocked quietly with a small grin.

“Duh.” Sasuke sighed, nudging him with his elbow.

“Why is that your trigger.”

“Hm, you truly are a bastard.” Naruto said as he made himself more comfortable, “It was the night I found out nothing.”

Sasuke bunched his eyebrows together in confusion. “Either you're talking in riddles, or you're more tired than you thought.”

Naruto turned his face into his pillow as he laughed before resurfacing. “I was given up for adoption. I never knew if my parents hated me or loved me. If they gave me up out of spite or love. I didn't know if I looked more like my mom or dad, whose personality I got stuck with. On a night like that was when Iruka broke it to me that I was adopted.”

“Some are bad, and some are good.” Sasuke sighed out.

“What?”

“The triggers. I remember my last happy moment and you remember your worst.”

Naruto shrugged, stretching one of his arms out of the sleeping bag and covering part of the space between them. “This time it didn't hurt as bad though. You know? I wasn't alone when I remembered. Plus I have to remember how much Iruka loves me. You need to remember the same thing about your family.”

Sasuke nodded as he rolled over to face Naruto whose eyelids were beginning to drupe. The blond snickered lightly. “I'm totally telling Sakura she snores in the morning.”

“You going to shoot for two and tell Ino she drools?” Sasuke whispered with a smirk.

“Sure, why not. Maybe if I tell Gaara he looks like an angel when he sleeps he'll protect me from their wrath.” 

Sasuke flicked at Naruto's hand with his own. “Idiot.”

Blue eyes watched as Sasuke's hand settled on the floor just next to his. Their fingertips were so close to touching. He could visibly see the difference in the tones of their skin and had to remember to start with pale emo jokes in the morning.

Sasuke twisted in his sleeping bag to get a better position, their fingertips brushing each other in what seemed like a drawn out moment. 

“Your hand is freezing, moron. Get under your sleeping bag.”

“Your hand is fucking hot. I knew you were there devil incarnate.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he watched Nauto's eyelids finally touch down and struggle to open. He had lost his battle against sleep. So figuring it was safe, Sasuke gently covered Naruto's exposed hand with his own. Just for a little bit he figured, until his hand was warm. No one would know. Sasuke almost jumped out of his skin when Naruto's fingers slid in between his, lacing them together.  
Slurring his words and smiling lightly, his eyes still unable to reopen, Naruto whispered.

“It was like we were made for each other, huh?”

Then, before Sasuke could even think of something to say back, Naruto snored right in his face.


	5. The Trigger, The Moment

Sasuke awoke the next day with a foot firmly planted on the back of his head. How Nartuo got in the position, he'll never know. Everyone else thought it was funny, that was, until Naruto kept to his word and told Sakura and Ino their habits during sleep. So after Naruto ran for his life, was chased out of his own house, and ran into Kakashi who just so happened to be on his way to check in on the group; the day carried on. Kakashi tagged along when the group when they went out to breakfast on Sasuke's behalf. Of course after the free meal the man disappeared.  
  
The group went window shopping to past the time. Naruto sported a bra around the entire department store over his shirt. Sasuke kept his distance, showing he wanted to scream he didn't know him. That was, until the blond stopped in the middle of the store, hands on his hips and turned to glare right at Sasuke.  
  
“Darling, you have yet to tell me if you like it or not! You're sleeping on the couch tonight you rude, insensitive man!”  
  
So after proceeding to be kicked out of the store by a security guard with no sense of humor whatsoever, they went to a local place Gaara started mentioning.  
  
“It's a little far back into the woods near my house, its really small though. Its pretty secluded but it's not off limits or anything. People go to it all the time.”  
  
“So a nice little pond?” Ino asked as they were walking back to their cars in the mall parking lot.  
  
“Yeah, a nice little opening and everything. There are paths all around too if you guys like walking or something.”  
  
“F-Fireflies!” Hinata gasped.  
  
Naruto laughed, and Gaara nodded. “They're always' there. I swear they don't care about the seasons around that pond.”  
  
“What's the big deal?” Sakura asked.  
  
Naruto shrugged. “Hinata, Kiba and I would catch as many fireflies as we could all in one night, have a contest, and then let them go when we were done.”  
  
“Sounds pointless.” Sasuke muttered.  
  
“It is.” Naruto said, elbowing Sasuke. “But we've been doing it since we met. Not to mention, when you let them all go at once, its kinda beautiful.”  
  
Ino giggled. “That's cute, Naruto.”  
  
“B-but i-i-it is!” Hinata defended.  
  
“Well” Sakura smiled, throwing her arms around Ino's and Naruto's shoulders. “To our new secret hangout we go.”  
_____________________________________________________________________________

Gaara gave directions to his house where everyone agreed it would be the best place to park. So the two cars stood outside of his house as he walked inside to inform his parents why the cars were there. He came back out a few moments later with a book, and a few jars, before walking back up to the group.  
  
Gaara handed the jars over to Hinata. “I figured you'd need them.”  
  
“Th-thank you!” She chirped happily.  
  
He gave a small smile. “No problem.”  
  
“Don't they need holes?” Sasuke asked, and Gaara visibly cringed.  
  
“Dude, you keep the lids cracked. Duh.” Naruto recovered quickly.  
  
The blond smiled towards the red head and Gaara nodded his thanks. He knew just because you had an idea of how someone's OCD works doesn't mean you knew it all.  
  
“Alright, Gaara!” Sakura exclaimed, losing her control in her excitement. “Lead the way!”  
  
Ino walked along the path behind Gaara's house, next to him, followed by Hinata and Sakura, and ending the train was Sasuke and Naruto. Ino talked to Gaara about his book and quickly began a discussion on favorite authors. Hinata was giving Sakura tips on catching fireflies. Naruto began nagging Sasuke about lightening up. They reached the clearing rather quickly, and they all jumbled next to each other to take in the site. There was indeed a small little pond surrounded by some tall grass, a guard of trees and a few lengthy fields that were wide open and tempting.  
  
“This is awesome.” Naruto let out.  
  
Ino busted out in a fit of giggles and tugged Sakura along by her arm, who immediately turned and grabbed Hianta's hand. The three of them ran off laughing together, hopping through the tall grass.  
  
Gaara stretched and then pointed to a particular tree. “I need to finish this book for class.”  
  
“I'm going to check out this pond, you in Sasuke?”  
  
The teen sighed. “No choice.”  
  
Naruto gave him a look. “Don't be so excited, will you?”  
  
Gaara chuckled as he walked off towards his favorite reading spot, leaving Naruto and Sasuke to go left towards a path around the small pond. Naruto tugged off his shoes and socks and went to the waters edge, bending over to run his fingers through the chilled water.  
  
“You'll catch pneumonia in temperatures like this.” Sasuke called, leaning up against a tree.  
  
Naruto laughed. “No. I'll be fine.”  
  
The groups settled in to doing their own thing. The girls played old school yard games until the sun began to set. Gaara quietly and calmly burned through his book. Naruto had put his socks and shoes back on and was skipping rocks, Sasuke sat behind him at the tree he had been leaning on and occasionally throwing rocks in just to mess up Naruto's rhythm. Sasuke watched the blond closely. He was looking for any type of sign that Naruto's demeanor had changed. After last night he figured things would be awkward and distant. The blond was acting like it was just another day hanging out with his group of friends. So, being sick and tired of being the one wondering about it, Sasuke decided to chance it.  
  
“You don't remember what you said last night?” Sasuke asked, tossing a pebble into the pond.  
  
“Huh?” The blond glanced at Sasuke briefly. “Yeah, and I kept good on my promise. I told Sakura and Ino, though I still need to tell Gaara. Don't you remember the early morning jog for my life? Are you that desperate for a conversation that you want to rehash my morning of fear?”  
  
The raven glanced at the blond who was standing, his hands on his hips and his eyes dazing across the pond; the sun's reflection bouncing off the water as it was beginning to set.  
  
“A trigger.” Sasuke muttered.  
  
Naruto turned to him with his eyebrows raised in question. “Hm?”  
  
Sasuke stood and dusted himself off before siding up to Naruto who was still staring at him curiously.  
  
“You have the worst memory in history, by the way.” Sasuke said, staring across the pond.  
  
Hinata, Sakura and Ino were catching fireflies that were beginning to come out while Gaara sat under a tree to read, his face planted in the pages as the light was fading.  
  
Sasuke purposely brushed his fingers against Naruto's as he turned to walk around the pond, just an aimless endeavor till they decided to leave.  
  
“Damn Sasuke, your hands are hot. I knew you were the devil incarnate.”  
  
The raven shrugged and barely turned to look at him, shoving his hands in his pockets and beginning to walk off. “And yours are cold. I told you to put them under the sleeping bag to get warm. You didn't want to listen.”  
Naruto felt his eyebrows bunch together, completely confused as he watched Sasuke walk around the small pond. He stopped briefly to chat with Gaara about whatever book he was reading. Naruto continued to wonder what all that meant.  
  
He watched as Sasuke and Hinata exchanged words when he caught up with the girls, and took her jar away from her and caught six bugs in one scoop. Sasuke turned to look at Naruto just once, just briefly, to see if he had figured it out. He turned away to put the cap back on the jar and handed it to Hinata. The girl walked back over to Sakura and Ino who were still wildly swinging their jars. Blue eyes watched, somehow fixated as Sasuke reached out his index finger and a tiny lightening bug landed with its end glowing.  
  
Naruto's heart jolted in his chest.  
  
_It was like we were made for each other, huh?_  
  
Naruto's hand met his forehead as he rushed to a more shaded place to hide his flaming face.  
_________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the weekend went by like a blur.  
  
That was until they realized Iruka would be home in an hour and the house was a wreck. Sasuke and Naruto exchanged one sole look and ran for the cleaning supplies. Ino put Gaara up into Naruto's room after the blond refused to let Gaara help clean. It wasn't an insult, and Gaara knew it. Naruto just didn't want him to have something cleaned wrong and Gaara have a panic attack. Ino, Sakura and Hinata covered what they deemed was the 'first layer' which was containers, wrappers and cans galore. Sasuke and Naruto were in charge of the 'bottom layer' which was vacuuming, wiping down everything and making the place nearly shine. They jam packed all the trash in the bin outside to give it the look that they hadn't trashed too much stuff. Naruto was cleaning all the table tops and Sasuke was cussing out the vacuum cleaner as they were finishing up.  
  
“Good call on the wet to dry powder, Sakura.” Naruto commented as he erased the last spot on the side table.  
  
“Naruto! He's back!” Ino called from the window, having been put on lookout a few minutes prior.  
  
“Sasuke, put it up!”  
  
The raven glared, Hinata yanking the cord out of the wall and he quickly wound it up with quick hands. Sakura grabbed what cleaning supplies she could in one swoop of her arms quickly followed by Naruto. Sasuke shoved the vacuum back into the closet only a few feet away. Hinata and Ino jumped on the couch and clicked on the television like nothing was out of place. Gaara came hopping down the stairs to quickly stretch out on the floor, Sasuke jumping over him as he went towards the chair.  
  
Just as Iruka came walking in the front door, Naruto and Sakura were walking into the living room with their arms full of soda.  
  
Naruto perfectly feigned shock. “Dad!”  
  
He dumped the soda cans on the table and ran over to give his father a welcoming hug. “How was the trip?”  
  
Iruka smiled. “It was wonderful. Went flawlessly. Wow son, the house looks wonderful.”  
  
Naruto smiled, turning around and looking at the group who were comfortably hanging out in the living room. He nudged his father in the ribs gently.  
  
“Hinata kept us all in check. Is your stuff still in the car.”  
  
Iruka was beaming towards Hinata as he nodded. “Yes.”  
  
“Alright, I'll get it.”  
  
Iruka shook out of his happy daze at the sight of his house. “Oh, no. Don't worry about it, this is your fun weekend.”  
  
Naruto laughed as he pushed open the front door. “I'm sure carrying in luggage won't ruin it that much.”  
  
Naruto was quick gathering his father's luggage, barely looking up when he heard the front door of Kiba's house creak open. It was indeed his one time best friend. He didn't make a signal or sound towards him. Naruto wanted to give him the time he thought Kiba needed. Or at least he kept telling himself that. He wasn't sure if his best friend was going to stay his friend, or if Naruto was going to keep giving him time till the bitter end.  
The blond lugged the luggage back into the house with a heavy feeling weighing on his chest. He felt as if when he let the front door shut behind him, he shut the door on his and Kiba's friendship for good. But seeing his group of friends waiting for him in the living room, all talking to Iruka, he knew the pain wouldn't be as harsh as he thought. He wouldn't be as alone as he imagined he would be.  
  
Iruka smiled as he turned to his son. “The girls all have to get home, but I invited Gaara and Sasuke stay for an extra night.”  
  
Naruto smiled, sloppily dropping his father's things. “Awesome. I don't know if we have much left in the kitchen.”  
  
Iruka laughed loudly, figuring as much. “Let's find out, otherwise we can give a deliveryman somewhere a wonderful workout.”  
  
Naruto laughed, following his father as the girls went upstairs to gather their things. Ino and Sakura were going out with Sakura's parents to celebrate their anniversary, and once a week Hinata and Neji would go out to eat as well.  
Sasuke and Gaara followed the girls, intent on helping. Iruka turned around and grabbed Naruto in a caring hug as soon as they were out of sight of Naruto's friends. Iruka learned a long time ago that as his son got older, the simple things became rather embarrassing. He was still shocked his son had given him such a hug when he walked in.  
  
Iruka pulled back and smiled, Naruto shook his head. “I didn't think you'd be that excited that I kept the house intact. You really have no faith in me.”  
  
Iruka laughed, shaking his head. “Very funny.”  
  
Iruka reacted on instinct as he ran his hand through his sons hair. He used to do it to calm Naruto down or to get him to sleep. Now it was a rare thing to simply show love of a father towards his son. Iruka gave him a funny look as he brushed his fingers through Naruto's hair in that loving gesture. Something seemed different. Even if he had only been home for five minutes, he could immediately tell.  
  
“Hm.” Iruka hummed as Naruto's eyes popped open. It had always been a reflex to shut them.  
  
“What?”  
  
Iruka shook his head and patted Nartuo's shoulder. “Something about you just seems a little different is all.”  
  
The blond laughed. “Dad, it was one weekend.”  
  
Iruka hummed again. “And in one weekend your smile grew.”  
  
“Grew? It's always the same size, pop.”  
  
Iruka snorted. “It's brighter. You're happier, is what I'm getting at.”  
  
“Oh.” Naruto said lightly. “You should just spell stuff out so we can avoid these confusions.”  
  
The older man chuckled as he patted Naruto's shoulder. “Well, whatever is doing it, don't lose it. Seeing you this happy is wonderful, you shouldn't let that go.”  
  
“Naruto, let's go, we have to take Hinata home.” Sasuke said dully as he walked passed the kitchen with her bag slung over his shoulder.  
  
Iruka chuckled. “He's a chipper one, isn't he?”  
  
The blond shrugged, turning to watch Sasuke walk out of the open front door. “Actually dad, there is far more to him than that bastardly outer shell.”  
___________________________________________________________________________

Gaara and Sasuke decided on staying one last night, and in the morning they would catch a ride with Sasuke to school.  
  
Iruka had gone to bed early, too tired to stay awake from his trip. Gaara was already asleep, having to take his anxiety medication and becoming increasingly tired. Naruto was lying on the floor where he had slept next to Sasuke the night before, Gaara stretched out asleep on the couch, and Sasuke sitting up next to him. The two of them were watching a murder mystery show based on real events. Naruto thought the detective work was cool, Sasuke was intrigued by the forensics. They had silently gotten sucked in really. They were trying to find something boring to put on as background noise to fall asleep too. They hadn't planned on staying up late, as they had school the very next day and early no less.  
  
The show cut to commercial and Naruto noticed Sasuke's shoulders relax. He seemed completely on edge during the entire show.  
  
“You really like this stuff, huh?” Naruto said quietly, determined not wake Gaara.  
  
Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, shrugging nonchalantly. “I always have.”  
  
“Oh yeah? So...what? You want to be like them guys on CSI and stuff?”  
  
Sasuke snorted. “Like the people on this show. Glorification on forensic science is a little over the top.”  
  
“So you really want to get into that when you're older?”  
  
Sasuke shrugged again, turning back to the tv. “Yeah.”  
  
“Why? Just because you're interested in it?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Because you'll be the new-age Sherlock?”  
  
Sasuke sighed, and strained. “No.”  
  
The blond huffed. “Then why?”  
  
“Because I'd like to be just as occupied as my family so maybe I won't be as lonely anymore.” Sasuke spat.  
  
Nartuo rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and huffed. He stared at the ceiling instead of the television. Sasuke glared at him.  
  
“Something annoying about that?”  
  
“Yeah, asshole.”  
  
Sasuke turned more towards him, ready to strike with a punch when Naruto grumbled.  
  
“I told you enough times you don't have to be lonely anymore. I guess my friendship means nothing to you, does it? Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Gaara are just more people passing through your fucking life. Maybe, Sasuke, you just want to be alone.”  
  
Naruto rolled over on his side, grabbing his pillow and fluffing it up a little violently. The blond was still talking aggravatingly; part grumbling, part irritated growl.  
  
“I mean shit, don't let us keep you. Sorry we give a damn. But really Sasuke, if you're scared you're going to get hurt again like your family hurt you – that you'll get let down again – just say so. That's more understandable than you being a bastard.”  
  
“Excuse me?” Sasuke asked in a snappy tone.  
  
“You heard me.” Naruto bit, grinding his head into the pillow. “I'd tell you goodnight, but I doubt you'd appreciate the worth in those words from a friend.”  
  
Sasuke stared at Naruto through the flickering dim lights from the television. He had his eyes angrily screwed shut tight. He was breathing heavily through his nose in annoyance. Slowly and silently, Sasuke decided to lay down himself. There was no point to stay awake and watch the show anymore. He wasn't sure what he should say to Naruto, or if he should bother at all. But the bottom line was simple.  
  
“I never knew you could get so mad.” Sasuke muttered, closing his eyes.  
  
Naruto turned and then rolled over to face Sasuke, trying to glare him down, but not doing a very good job. Sasuke sighed, reaching his hand out and linking their fingers quickly like it had been done the other night. Naruto tried to keep his face calm and collective, but he knew his blushes were a bit harder to control. Sasuke gently shut his eyes and settled into his pillow, mumbling to Naruto.  
  
“I know you won't leave me. But in all honesty Naruto, I'm just waiting for it to change just like everything else.”  
  
The tan fingers twitched lightly in the lock they found themselves in, staring at Sasuke as if he was trying to figure him out for the very first time. It seemed as if he was literally hanging onto Naruto like he'd disappear when his eyes were shut. He wasn't going to lie. The admittance had shocked him. It was like pulling teeth just to get Sasuke to say normal things, but to come out with something so deep and personal was shocking. Now Sasuke was holding his hand like Naruto had done to him, and starting to fall asleep. In all honesty, Naruto thought it was some type of joke. He leaned towards Sasuke, his head picking up and hovering slightly. He was looking for an opening to give his friend away, but it appeared as Sasuke really was drifting to sleep.  
  
Naruto inched his face forward, trying not to move his hand as he got closer to Sasuke. His dark bangs had pooled on the floor and crossed over his forehead. The flickering lights from the television highlighted Sasuke's pale and smooth skin. Naruto noticed upon closer inspection that Sasuke had very long and girly eyelashes. He chuckled lightly, his breath ghosting across Sasuke's face and making his bangs move. Naruto almost jumped when Sasuke's lips twitched into a smirk.  
  
“You going to do it, or what?” He asked tiredly.  
  
The blond gave him a funny look, and smiled. Sasuke sounded funny when he was half asleep. “Do what?”  
  
The raven sighed, cracked open his eyes and glanced at Naruto. He was closer than he really thought, but it just made it all the more simpler. He just lifted his head up, yanked on Naruto's hand to pull him forward and smoothly connected their lips.  
  
Sasuke pulled back just enough so their lips were barely touching, their foreheads resting against each other. Sasuke barely sighed against Naruto's lips, ignoring the death grip that the blond now had on his hand.  
  
“Goodnight.” Sasuke whispered.  
  
Naruto watched, wide eyed and in complete disbelief as Sasuke laid his head back down contently, his fingers still laced with Naruto's and acted like this was something that happened between them everyday. The blond had his jaw hanging, his mouth open as he gawked at Sasuke. Then, he cursed under his breath as he laid his own head down, still staring wide eyed in disbelief.  
  
“You fucking bastard.”


	6. The Moment, The Hope

The morning was as normal as it really could be. Naruto defended himself when Sasuke awoke realizing his pillow was gone and Naruto had it. Something about a sensitive neck and close reach before Sasuke started chasing him. Before Gaara could really spring into action, Iruka was downstairs in a flash. Kids stampeding through his house was not going to be tolerated. Especially at an ungodly hour when getting home after a long weekend. Gaara was rewarded with hot chocolate for his good behavior, while Naruto moaned and whined about not getting a mug himself. The group finally went about getting ready. Naruto and Sasuke fighting over who got the shower first and Gaara taking his while they fought. Naruto called shotgun when they went to drive to school, but Gaara had already been patiently waiting in the front seat when Naruto ran up to the car. Now, despite Gaara being withdrawn into himself, he couldn't help but wave a little to Naruto before pointing to the backseat.  
  
It indeed felt like their happiness was somewhat untouchable after such a wonderful weekend.  
  
That was, until they arrived at school.  
  
It seemed normal enough in the parking lot. Nothing really out of the ordinary as they climb out of the car. That was when they heard the rushed chattering of the crowd that was spread around them.  
Gaara turned and looked over the car at Sasuke while Naruto was climbing out of the back seat.  
  
“Did they say cops?”  
  
The other teen nodded, trying to look over a blond head where the students were slowly crowding. “Something about a student getting taken away?”  
  
“What's going on now?” Naruto huffed, dragging his backpack out behind him.  
  
The three teens slowly walked to the rear of Sasuke's car, the three of them staying far away from the scene that was playing out in front of their school.  
  
“What in the hell happened?” Naruto asked, eyeing the squad cars and an ambulance, lights blazing.  
  
Gaara shrugged and Sasuke tried to walk away. He hated rubbernecking and gawking. Instead he turned around and came face to face with a familiar teacher. He was looking for something or someone, his eyes searching around frantically. He looked annoyed and rushed.  
  
He looked around Sasuke and then stepped around him, calling towards Naruto.  
  
“Mr. Uzumaki, I need you to follow me please.” The teacher said sternly.  
  
The blond looked to his two friends with a confused face before looking back at the teacher. “What's going on?”  
  
“Now, Mr. Uzumaki.”  
  
The blond gave one last look towards his friends before silently following along through the buzzing crowd. The teacher never turned to say a word, hint towards what was wrong or if he was in trouble, or said anything for that matter. Naruto simply followed him through the school going through the busy parts and the quite parts. Of course he ended up in the one place he hated seeing, and that was the main office. The main office was usually where he ended up before he was sent to the security office where he was given detention slips, lectures and of course, the infamous phone calls home.  
  
The blond followed him into a room, the door being shut behind him. He was soon faced with his principle, two police officers and his guidance counselor.  
  
“Okay.” He stretched. “Can I get an answer as to what in the world is going on?”  
  
“Naruto, go ahead and sit down dear.”  
  
Okay, so he had talked to his guidance counselor more than his fair share. She was old, sweet, and something like everyone's grandmother. So, he did what he was told. Somewhat, because he respected her, but mostly because she had Iruka on speed dial.  
  
“These officers here just need to ask you a few questions.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
The principle cleared his throat, catching Naruto's attention. “Some things happened at school this morning. Your name came up and we just want to get things straight.”  
  
The blond turned to the officers. “Look guys, I'm on hiatus with the prank pulling. I have an air tight alibi too.”  
  
“Talked to one of us before?” One officer asked.  
  
“Maybe.” Naruto muttered, taking his seat. “What's going on?”  
  
“Mr. Uzumaki, do you know a fellow student by the name of Kiba Inuzuka?”  
  
The blond nodded slowly. “Yeah, we had a falling out recently, but he's my best friend.”  
  
Naruto would never say otherwise. No matter how Kiba felt about him, they were best friends.  
  
The other officer nodded, jotting down a note. “Do you know or have been aware of any enemies Kiba might have?”  
  
“Asides his report card, no.”  
  
“Known anyone to get mad enough to hurt him?”  
  
Naruto paused for a brief moment, worry suddenly flooding him. “No. A lot of people like Kiba, he's on the football team. Did something happen?”  
  
“You sure no one had a personal vendetta?”  
  
Naruto stood up, holding up his hands. “I'm not answering another question till I get an answer. Did something happen?”  
  
The guidance counselor stood, putting a hand on one of the officers shoulders to make more room for her to be seen. “Yes. Kiba was hurt pretty badly, and it was very much intentional. We're just trying to get to the bottom of it.”  
  
Naruto's mind flashed with racing thoughts, his heart pounded in his chest, his hands started to shake. “How did my name come up?”  
  
The whispered question was cautious and somewhat chilling. Naruto had the worst gut feeling of his life. He didn't want to be right. He'd kill not to be right.  
  
“Seems it was linked to something of a hate crime and a rumor.”  
  
Naruto's heart dropped to his stomach, and his knees hit the floor.  
__________________________________________________________________________

The steady rhythm of a heart monitor wasn't exactly the most soothing alarm clock one could ask for. Kiba, on the other hand, had no other choice.  
There was a calm, soothing hand stroking his hair and pushing it back from his forehead. It was comforting, calming and somewhat welcoming. He didn't remember much, and waking up in what was obviously a hospital wasn't exactly the best place to start piecing together everything.  
  
His vision now cleared and his head pounding, his eyes found Hinata's. She had been crying, it was apparent. She was still shaking and nervously gnawing on her lip. Their were three red and bruised marks on her face. She let out a shaky sigh when Kiba looked at her. It was full of relief like she had been holding it the entire time.  
  
“What happened? Are you okay?”  
  
She shook her head a little bit, still chewing on her lip. “There...th-there was a fight.”  
  
Kiba could barely hear her whispers, but it seemed like the word “fight” had jarred his memory.  
  
Hinata had come to talk to him bright and early in the morning, when she knew he would be able to corner Kiba with ease.  
  
It was a usual Monday morning. He came in early to get things done for football so he wouldn't have to stay later the rest of the week. He'd organize stuff and talk with his coach, and if he was feeling awake enough, he'd take down the weight room.  
  
He remembered Hinata getting there not a full minute before other students would begin pouring into the school.  
  
“I j-just want...”  
  
Kiba sighed, putting away binders on a shelf in a specific order. “Hinata, I know you want me to talk to Naruto. I...I just can't yet.”  
  
The girl barely tilted back her head in frustration, “Why?”  
  
“Look, it's easier for you, okay?”  
  
“H-how?”  
  
Kiba slammed down a binder in aggravation. “You can't understand Hinata, alright.”  
  
“Make me.” She challenged.  
  
Kiba sat still for a moment, letting his forehead come to rest in a waiting hand after taking a seat on a bench. “I mean, we're in high school Hinata.”  
  
“S-so?” She gave him a look of confusion.  
  
Kiba stood up and walked up to his friend. “I was pissed, okay? My best friend kept a secret like that from me for who knows how long. I was so mad. But look what I did to him? Do you know how dangerous it is for someone to be open with their sexuality in a fucked up high school like ours? I had to push him away. I just...I totally screwed up from the start. I didn't mean to do it like that.”  
  
Hinata's eyes were searching Kiba's face, trying to find the point. The reason. She couldn't think of it.  
  
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I was the reason he got blown out of the water. Me. I was the one who put him in the spotlight, Hinata.”  
  
“Th-then stay b-by him!”  
  
“I can't hurt him like that! Hinata, please, look at Naruto and I from an outsiders perspective. We can be mistaken for a couple.”  
  
She huffed, clearly getting pissed.  
  
“It's easier to ignore someones sexuality if they aren't publicly showing it off. It was my fault in making Naruto such a big target like that. Regardless if I'm comfortable or not with it, I shouldn't have done what I did. But, if I play my cards right Hina...I can make this all go away.”  
  
She was biting on her lip, Kiba noticed. She was trying not to cry. “You're hurt-ting him.”  
  
He looked down, a small shake of his head. “I know. But I'm keeping him safe. People are talking, their planning; he can get hurt badly.”  
  
“T-t-tell someone!” She snapped.  
  
“Being a snitch will get me hurt and then Naruto will just come later. If I keep playing my cards as the popular jock, I can get this all to blow over.”  
  
“H...how?” She seemed genuinely curious.  
  
Kiba went to reply, something along the lines of “Naruto not being worth the time of day”, but he hesitated with the sentence that stung him. Instead, someone else answered for him.  
  
“He acts like he isn't sucking Uzumaki's dick and all will be forgotten.” A voice called.  
  
That was the last thing he remembered clearly. There was a fuzzy image of him and another guy in each others faces, yelling back and forth. He could hear Hinata's scream echo in his head, he could faintly remember her crying. He barely recalled a ride in the ambulance and an officer trying to drill him for questions. Everything was just so confusing.  
  
He heard the curtain get pulled back in one swoop, and his eyes found Naruto standing in the doorway. Hinata instinctively walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, starting to cry on his shoulder.  
  
He gently rubbed her back for a moment before pulling her back and looking her square in the eyes. He couldn't bare to see the marks on her face. “Neji is in the waiting room. You better get out there before he blows up the place, okay?”  
  
It was bad enough Kiba had been beaten so badly because of him, because of who he was. The fact that Hinata had been slipped in the whole ordeal just made it harder. She shouldn't have been touched. She probably didn't even think about defending herself in such a situation. She would have only been thinking about her friend. Naruto silently walked into the room, walking up to the bed Kiba laid in and sat in the chair next to it. He refused to look at him. Naruto kept swearing he'd see the hate filled look he last saw on his friend's face when he outed him.  
  
They stayed silent for a few moments. No one tried to move, mumble or even let out a sigh. The situation was semi-tense and very awkward.  
  
“I talked to the cops.” Naruto finally muttered.  
  
Kiba stared at the ceiling, refusing to meet Naruto's eyes.  
  
“I'm going to transfer schools.” The blond sighed, using the car ride over with Iruka to think about it. “It would be easier.”  
  
“Don't.” Kiba said quietly.  
  
Naruto shook his head, leaning back in the chair next to Kiba's bed and staring at the mounted television set. It was off, a blank screen.  
  
“Look at the facts, Kiba. I got my two closest friends hurt. I'm a liability. I can't hang around.”  
  
“Naruto, you didn't get anyone hurt.”  
  
The blond let out a sad, hurt chuckle. “Kiba, being who I am got the two of you hurt. I need to think of others before myself.”  
  
“You always do.”  
  
“Then why is it a problem?” Naruto countered easily.  
  
“You have friends there. A lot of people will be upset if you leave.”  
  
“I'm not moving, idiot. I'm going to a different school.”  
  
Kiba sighed, frustratingly rolling his eyes. He knew this isn't how their first conversation should have gone. It should have been different.  
  
“Well, I got to get out of here. My dad wants to get to your house as soon as possible to take care of the dog. Seems like your mom nor your sister are budging from this place till you do. He probably wants to clean for your mom since she's been so busy.”  
  
Kiba watched Naruto for a moment, the blond still staring off in a dead-like way at nothing. He looked lost and hopeless.  
  
“What are you waiting for?” Kiba whispered.  
  
“You to tell me what you could tell Hinata.” Naruto sighed out, he was tired of hearing Hinata say it for him. “I'd personally like to hear you say you don't hate me, that I'm not a disgusting pile of shit and that you just don't know how to handle it. That I can probably have my best friend back. That you're mad at me and mad at yourself. I want you to say-”  
  
“I'm sorry.” Kiba announced, and just as loud as possible. He was finally looking at his best friend. “I'm really sorry...I'm so sorry, Naruto.”  
  
Naruto cracked a smile, trying to hide the fact that his eyes were watering. He didn't even bother to look at Kiba as he barely nodded his head. He knew at that moment he wasn't sure when he was going to get to see Kiba again. His friend still needed to get comfortable with Naruto's sexuality, get over being mad, and then make sure no one was going to get hurt again. Naruto stood quickly from the chair, not turning to look at Kiba. He only wiped under his eyes when he was halfway down the hallway, and just couldn't hold the tears back anymore.  
____________________________________________________________________________

It was a new day. A Tuesday morning.  
  
Naruto was sitting on his front stoop of his house, his cell phone was placed in his lap. He had debated all day calling someone. Some were in school, others were recovering. He was staying home the rest of the week till the transfer was complete. Hinata was home, getting ready to start home bound study. He was tired and exhausted. His guilt and anxiety kept him up all night. His racing thoughts didn't help the matter either.  
  
Not one of his friends aside Hinata knew where he went, where he disappeared to. Ino and Sakura called Naruto more times than he could keep up with. Gaara called a few times, and finally settled with a concerned voice mail. Surprisingly enough, even Sasuke called.  
  
Naruto wanted to call Hinata. He could only guess her phone was being bombarded like his was. He felt loss when it came to calling her. He didn't know what he should say to her. He didn't know how he could ever face her again. If he hadn't opened his mouth, he thought, this wouldn't have happened. If he kept himself silenced, things wouldn't have gone this wrong. If he wasn't himself, if he had never been born...  
He smacked the both of his hands up to his face and rubbed it vigorously, before raking his hands through his hair and ruffling it.  
  
He sighed out heavily. This wasn't like himself. Despite all the heavy hits in his life; he had always managed to stay light, airy and positive. He couldn't feel like this heavy blow had finally broke him.  
It was bad enough when something bad happened to him, but this time his closest friends had gone down, too.  
  
Hours passed and Naruto still sat there on his stoop, trapped in his own viscous mind. He finally noted the time and realized all his friends should be home by now. He battled with himself about bothering them with his problems. He finally swallowed his doubt, picked up the phone, and called the only person he thought understood him better than anyone.  
___________________________________________________________________________

Sasuke hated his ring tone, and he hated Naruto for programming it into his phone.  
  
He was silently relieved the moron was finally calling him back. It seemed like everyone was calling Sasuke now that they couldn't get a hold of Naruto. It seemed like everyone expected Sasuke to know what was going on. He wouldn't admit he was worried. But when he had finally linked together most of the pieces to this awkward puzzle, something was biting at him. Kiba, Hinata and Naruto all disappeared the day an ambulance and squad cars showed up at school. Now, he was finally going to get some answers.  
  
“Naruto?” Sasuke asked, his head dropping back onto his pillow and his eyes going back to his book. He had been lying down, reading for a paper he had to do.  
  
But he was met with silence. A whisper of wind as it hit the phone, maybe it was Naruto breathing, but no response. Sasuke rolled his eyes.  
  
“Prank calling is pointless with caller ID.”  
  
More silence. More seconds ticked by. More time where Naruto could have filled it up with pointless prattle. An explanation. Stupid noises. Endless insults.  
  
“Idiot, talk or I'll hang up.” Sasuke said in a frustrated tone. “You can't just up and disappear, call and then not talk.”  
  
So there was a whisper in response. One that caught Sasuke complete by surprise. One that was hurt, alone and terrified.  
  
“ _Please come over_.”  
  
Sasuke sat up in bed, shutting his book and tossing it on his desk. “What the hell is going on, moron?”  
  
_“I'm sorry_...” Naruto muttered. “ _I just didn't know who else to call_...”  
  
“You have a lot of people to call.” Sasuke replied, knowing this was obvious.  
  
Naruto's shaky sigh reached the phone, and Sasuke felt himself freeze. “Naruto?”  
  
“ _Please_.” Naruto pleaded quietly into the phone. “ _Just please come over_.”  
  
Sasuke was standing from his bed now, just in front of his desk. He looked down where he kept his car keys and stopped for a moment. He glanced down at his shoes sitting neatly next to the desk. Slowly, pale lids closed over dark eyes, and to himself he gave a little nod. “I'll be right there.”  
  
Before he hung up the phone and made his quick exit from his house, he heard the whispered words seeming to fill with hope.  
  
“ _Thank you_...”  
__________________________________________________________________________

Sasuke played off the fact that he had sped most of the way to Naruto's house, only to slow as he got to his street. He pulled up the curb and got out his car calmly, shutting the door gently, and walked up the lawn casually. He pulled his hand back as he reached the door and knocked, pretending to wait patiently. A moment passed by, and not even a sound echoed through the house that Naruto had heard him, so he knocked once more. Once again, he was met with nothing. He was sure Naruto wouldn’t up an leave, not after that phone call. Maybe Iruka had come home, and they were caught up talking? Maybe Iruka took him out? Naruto would have called back.  
  
He looked back to the driveway, just now noticing that Iruka's white car wasn't sitting in the driveway. They had no garage. His father wasn't home. Naruto was alone, upset as he was.  
  
Sasuke turned his fist to the side and banged on the door with the butt of his hand. He wouldn't admit there was a flare of panic that sparked in his chest. Despite Naruto's nearly prefect facade of being happy, being fine, being normal; Sasuke wasn't fooled. He was the same way, and one thing was for certain; if you couldn't fool yourself, then who could you fool?  
  
Naruto finally swung open the door, nearly getting knocked in the face while he still fooled with the waist of his jeans. “I didn't think you'd be here this quick. I had to go to the bathroom.”  
  
Sasuke knew he was frowning. Naruto never sounded anything short of giddy and happy. Now he sounded like a drone, full of nothing but hopelessness and a dull void.  
  
Instead of inviting Sasuke inside like he had expected, Naruto stepped out of the door and stood next to him. His eyes reflected the sky that day, both a crystal clear blue. They weren't holding the same twinkle though. The same stubborn glint. It was gone.  
  
Sasuke stood next to him silently for a good while. Neither of them moved or talked, but simply admired the lawn. Sure, Sasuke's patience was being tested to the limit, but he was an Uchiha. He could last forever.  
  
“Have you ever felt like...you were sorry for existing?”  
  
Sasuke's head turned sharply to the blond next to him. Naruto looked paler than he had just a few minutes ago. He looked lost.  
  
“I think during our hardest trials and tribulations, we all wish we didn't have to deal with it. But wishing you were never born is something completely different.”  
  
“I know.” Naruto reassured. “I understand that.”  
  
Sasuke turned back to the lawn and for a moment, he paused in thought. Then slowly, just barely, he nodded. “Sometimes, yes. I have, and this is my first time admitting it.”  
  
Naruto snorted, not surprised at all. Sasuke was like trying to open a book to read him. Except you needed a crowbar, will power, and the stubborn trait. But once Naruto wedged the pages open just a bit, he could make everything out easily. It was because Naruto already caught on that they were nearly one in the same.  
  
“You feel like...” Sasuke barely, visibly winced. “That if you weren't here, certain things would never happen.”  
  
Naruto's heart slammed against his chest for a moment. He held onto that feeling of understanding so he knew he wasn't standing alone. His only regret was knowing that indeed, Sasuke had felt this pain before.  
  
“It hurts...” Naruto whispered, his face slowly grasping a pained expression.  
  
Sasuke didn't want to look at him. One part was because, he was taught when a man has a problem emotionally, you turn the other cheek to allow him to have his moment. The other part honestly couldn't bare to see him so hurt. Especially when Sasuke knew how bad that pain could be.  
  
Sasuke turned and grabbed the handle of the door, turning it and pushing the door open. His other hand grabbed Naruto's wrist as he walked in the door. In one quick movement, Naruto knew what to do, where to go.  
He dropped his head on Sasuke's shoulder just inside the door, off to the side and out of sight. He felt Sasuke's forehead rest on his own, the close proximity causing their heads to rest against each other. Naruto's fingers sunk into Sasuke's shirt, wrapping into the fabric and holding on desperately.  
  
One hand of Sasuke's buried itself in Naruto's hair, the other grabbed his shirt near his hip. Silently together, by themselves; they shared their pain, their tears and their hope. A hope that within this other person they'd find peace, their salvation...their happiness.


	7. The Hope, The Return

They stood there like that for a long time, almost feeling like an eternity. Wrapped in the other crying, holding on to hope. It had to be ten minutes at least before Sasuke just barely pulled back, and their noses grazed and their lips nearly touched. Naruto felt his heart pound almost out of his chest when he locked eyes with Sasuke. He knew he swallowed hard when he found both of Sasuke's cold pale hands on his face, continuously wiping tears that ran down his face. Naruto soon found his own hands taking hold of Sasuke's wrists and he couldn't reason why he did so. This felt too intimate for just two friends. It wasn't as if they hadn't kissed before, but something about this seemed to hold so much more care. More depth. So much more meaning.  
  
Sasuke couldn't remember the two of them breaking apart or why. He could only remember Naruto clinging to him like a scared child and he was his only salvation – his only hope. Sasuke couldn't excuse his way out of the fact that he returned that exact same hold. He remembered silently wiping away Naruto's tears, the fresh ones that hadn't soaked into his shirt. He silenced his choked sobs that were trying to stay locked up. And Naruto, that idiot, did the same thing in return.  
  
Sasuke was trying to remember the last time he really cried as they sat on Naruto's stoop, having came back outside at some point. Iruka came home and found them that way, though the frown on his face said he could tell they had been crying. They had barely moved from their spot since. They were sitting next to each other, their shoulders resting against the others comfortably. Sasuke had been invited to stay for dinner, and reluctantly, he had agreed. There was still a part of him that didn't want to leave Naruto, and another that just simply couldn't.  
  
Naruto had promised Sasuke something, a sincere promise. That Sasuke would never be alone again because of him.  
  
Sasuke sighed lightly as he heard Iruka call them from inside for dinner. He silently followed behind Naruto. As they all quietly sat at the dinner table that evening, Sasuke knew one thing was for certain.  
  
The promise Naruto made to him, would always be returned.  
________________________________________________________________________

Naruto woke up the next day in an alert state. He jumped out of bed, not even bothering to throw the covers off of him, and then promptly falling. He dashed to his closet and threw open the door to scramble for clothes, not bothering to look at the clock. He new he was late for school, he hadn't even set his alarm clock...  
  
That was when it hit him. Hard, like a well aimed punch to the gut.  
  
He stood their clad in his boxers, his shoulders dropping in realization. He was still in the process of changing schools, he didn't have to go today. He didn't get to go and see his new friends or his long standing ones. Kiba was still hurt, Hinata was on lock down, and Naruto couldn't bring himself to talk to anyone. Except Sasuke. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head and dragging his feet back to his bed. He grabbed his blanket off the floor with a few curses aimed towards it, and then curled back up in bed. His mind was once again scrambled. Jumbled were his thoughts.  
  
Hinata's father, strict as he may be, had told Iruka personally that he had no ill will towards Naruto for what had happened. None of the family did. He said he in fact hoped Naruto would show up once again, and Iruka relayed the message. Naruto knew it was because he could make Hinata happy, and he silently appreciated that. But Hinata's father also knew, as wise as he was, that Naruto felt responsible.  
The blond grumbled and rolled to his side, glaring and holding a hand in front of his face. The sun was shining right inside his window.  
  
“Damn the mornings...”  
  
He sighed, rolling over again while managing to tangle himself in his blankets. He let out a fierce sigh when his phone rang in its annoying ring tone Sakura had set with a smile and a death threat.  
  
He picked it up and glared at the screen. It was Sasuke. His insides began to scream.  
  
He pressed the answer button and pressed the phone to his ear, throwing the covers over his head. “Morning.”  
  
There was a silence into the phone and Naruto pulled it away to stare at it curiously. “Hello?”  
  
Sasuke's voice struck his ear. “ _The lack of insults actually makes calling you less entertaining_.”  
  
Naruto snorted into the phone, rolling his eyes. Sasuke wasn't the type to cheer someone up. Hell, Sasuke wasn't the type to hold someone and cry his eyes out. So his sad attempt at sarcasm and humor caused Naruto's lips to twitch from his effort.  
  
“Sorry bastard. How may I amuse you're emo ass this fine, sunny morning. Dare I say you're sparkling?”  
  
Naruto couldn't help but smile at the chuckle that met his ear, rolling his eyes a little. He didn't understand how Sasuke could make him so happy so easily. It was ridiculous. Not ten seconds ago did he want to bury himself in his blankets only to never see the light of day again. That's right, Sasuke understood.  
  
There was a silence on the phone and Naruto felt his brow pull together. He felt himself frown just the smallest bit. “Did you call for a reason, or was it a mis-dial?”  
  
“ _Do I always have to have a reason to call_?” Sasuke retorted.  
  
Naruto smiled lightly into the phone, turning on his bed. “Nope. Just felt like calling? Or are you checking up on me?”  
  
There was a growl in the phone, and Naruto figured it was from a mix between embarrassment and his niceness being called out. He shrugged nonetheless.  
  
“Well, you go achieve that “higher learning” you Uchiha's strive for. I'm going to bum it out all day and munch on some junk food.”  
  
Another silence struck Naruto's ear. He replayed his sentence over again in his head and realized there was nothing wrong with it. He pulled his phone back and glanced at the screen, the call was still connected.  
  
“Bastard?”  
  
“ _Hn...look_...”  
  
“Where?” Naruto asked out of instinct. That was fallowed by the loud smacking noise on the other end of the phone, no doubt Sasuke smacking his own forehead.  
  
Naruto fell into a fit of laughter, noting his mistake. “ _Idiot_.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”  
  
“ _Sakura wants to talk to you_.”  
  
“What?” Naruto swallowed, listening to the quick rustling on the phone. It was quickly followed by what seemed like a vocal attack from hell.  
  
_“Naruto Uzumaki_!”  
  
The blond pulled the phone back while simultaneously moving himself away. He yelped when he reached the edge of his bed and tumbled out. He sighed in his jumbled mess of blankets listening to Sakura wail.  
  
“ _WHAT THE HELL_!?” He shrunk, trying to throw the phone out of the blankets, but failing in the cocoon of traps.  
  
_“SO HELP ME IF YOU DON'T TALK TO ANY OF US AGAIN LIKE THAT I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD! DON'T YOU DARE WORRY ME LIKE THAT!”_  
  
The blond sighed, letting his head rest against the blanket that cushioned it from the hardwood floor. “Sorry Sakura.”  
  
“ _Don't tell me your sorry, Naruto. Just don't do that to me again! I was so worried I thought Ino and I were going to lose our minds_.”  
  
“They're already lost...” He commented back, causing her to sigh and chuckle.  
  
“ _Now you go talk to Hinata before I make you_.” She threatened. “ _She's been worried sick about you, even more than the rest of u_ s.”  
  
“ _I can't save you this time_!” Gaara's voice called from the background, causing Naruto to laugh.  
  
“It's alright!” Naruto called back. “Good try buddy!”  
  
“ _I'll keep working on it_!”  
  
Naruto laughed along with Sakura and he could hear Ino laughing, too. And so help him, he thought he heard Sasuke snort.  
  
“ _We're hanging out today whether you like it or not. We're coming to your place. And you better go get Hina_!”  
  
Naruto inwardly groaned. “Sakura...”  
  
“ _You know you need to Naruto, and here's that extra push. Do it or die_.”  
  
Naruto heard more shuffling on the phone and was soon greeted with Sasuke's voice. “ _Moron_.”  
  
“You couldn't stop her why?”  
  
Naruto pictured Sasuke shrugging. There was a small huff. “ _You needed to talk to her_.”  
  
“Which one?” Naruto asked dully.  
  
“ _Everyone_.”  
  
“Of all people forcing me to be social...” Naruto laughed.  
  
“ _Of all people needing to be social_.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah. Go learn something new, will you? Try to prove Uchiha's don't know all or something.”  
  
There was a sigh and a noncommittal grunt. Naruto rolled his eyes at his friends' response.  
  
_“Go talk to her, moron, alright? We'll be there after school_.”  
  
“You know, this ordering me around business...Sasuke? Hello?” Naruto pulled the phone back, the screen flashing with the time spent and the call being over. He stuck his tongue out childishly, poking his hand out from under the blankets and tossing his phone off somewhere on the bed.  
  
He groaned, rolling over and tangling himself more into his blankets. With one last second of hesitation, he climbed out. He got up off his bed and went to his closet, picking out clothes. Slowly he got dressed, slipped on his shoes and headed for the Hyuuga's house.  
________________________________________________________________________

Naruto was just walking up to the large front door of the Hyuuga household when the front door swung open. It was a very rare thing to see Hinata angry. Upset – of course, she was an emotional person. But Naruto knew right then and there she wanted to smack the living hell out of him.  
  
He stood his ground while she marched up to him and braced for impact when he felt arms wrap around him, and heard her let out a shivering breath. Naruto returned the embrace, rubbing her back gently knowing now she was trying not to cry.  
  
“S-top feeling sorry for yo-yourself.” She muttered, her voice cracking. “You a-and your g-g-g-guilt Naruto, I swear...”  
  
Naruto felt a pang in his chest, realizing the selfishness in his hiding. Hinata was struggling without him, and that never happened. She always had Naruto to fall back on and visa-versa.  
  
“I've tri-tried c-calling you s-so many times, Naruto. I needed you.”  
  
Naruto bit his lip, burying his face more into her shoulder as he tried to hide his teary eyes.  
  
“Now st-stop thinking it's your f-f-fault right now!” She demanded shakily through a crying voice, her tears leaking onto Naruto's shirt and darkening the fabric.  
  
The blond pulled back, his own angry and guilty tears were lightly trickling down his own cheeks. He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked at her square in the eyes.  
  
“But look, Hinata. Look what happened to you because I'm me.”  
  
She stamped down on his foot with a heated glare, her gray eyes turned into a storm. Naruto winced, trying to bend down to grab his foot. She grabbed his face in her hands and made him look at her. Him and his evasive eyes.  
  
“T-this, Naruto, is-isn't f-f-from you. It's f-from m-me st-st-standing up for you. Y-you did-didn't go do this. I-I...K-Kiba and I cou-could have walked away! N-n-ow s-s-stop!”  
  
Naruto wrapped his arms around her again, her stuttering getting even worse with her emotions waving out of control. She cried into the chest part of his shirt, soaking it through with upset and angry tears.  
He worked on soothing her, rubbing her back and running his hand down her long hair. Her shirt became damp on its shoulder, his guilt now eating him alive all over again. He hated all these thoughts that were assaulting him. That it was his fault because of who he was. That he left his best friend alone when she needed him most. That he beat himself up over something he had no control over. He knew they could have walked away, they were strong people, but they were stubborn when it came to sticking up for their friends. So Naruto put himself ahead of all of that, and blamed himself from the beginning. If he hadn't been honest, he rationalized, things would still have been okay and the same. Now he wrecked things even more. He couldn't stand it. This emotional roller coaster they call high school was just too much. He just kept hurting those around him. It was painful and frustrating.  
  
“S-stop be-beating yourself u-up Naruto. I w-w-want you b-back...” Hinata whispered through quieted sobs.  
  
As Naruto's tears leaked into Hinata's shirt, and he clung tightly to his best friend, he tried to let go of his feelings. Of the hatred he had for himself. But as his friend held him back, whispering words of missing him, he lessened his grip on those feelings. Little by little, he figured. As long as he could be happy with his friends again, just being himself.

___________________________________________________________________________

It was like an ambush from hell, Naruto figured.  
  
He walked with Hinata to his house, and they hung around and chatted. They curled up on the couch together under their favorite blanket and talked. Naruto expressed his feelings of guilt, and Hinata expressed her own feelings.   
They listened to grasp the understanding. The discussion was deep and heartfelt, as if they were becoming closer friends if it was possible.  
  
Then hell itself burst through his front door.  
  
Led of course by Sakura and immediately followed by Ino, Gaara and Sasuke followed at a slower pace. Hinata and Naruto found themselves underneath Sakura and Ino in an instant of flying hugs and a loving dog pile. The two girls cursed lightly at Naruto before hugging him more, and then tried to talk Hinata into beating Naruto up for making them worry.  
  
When Iruka came home to find them all shoved together on one couch, chatting away without a care or notice, he decided not to interrupt them. He wanted to make sure his son kept that smile on his face, and not the fake one he had seen before.  
____________________________________________________________________________

Naruto stretched, having just come back with Gaara and Sasuke from walking Hinata home. Sakura and Ino had left right after dinner, which was a surprise to all of them. Iruka, Naruto decided, was a sneaky pizza ninja that he loved.  
  
Once again Naruto had Sasuke and Gaara to spending the night. Gaara would ride to school with Sasuke. It was fairly early in the evening, but after a panic attack and fast acting medications, Gaara was snoring lightly in Naruto's   
bed. Sasuke and Naruto were sitting outside of his room in the hallway, their backs against the wall.  
  
The blond eyed his friend and nudged him a bit. “You good?”  
  
Sasuke shrugged. “Anything past calmness and normalcy never really happened at my house.”  
  
“First of all, there is no such thing as normal...” Naruto laughed. “Second, panic attacks can be scary for anyone who hasn't been around to see one.”  
  
“It wasn't scary.” Sasuke bit.  
  
“Oh, right, right. Fearless Uchiha shit, my bad. It can be...different.”  
  
Iruka came out of his room, peering in on the other side of Naruto's door frame. The two boys looked up at him curiously, and he turned to look down at them with a sweet smile.  
  
“You two be quiet, he'll need his rest. I've talk to his parents already, okay?”  
  
Naruto and Sasuke both nodded, barely being able to hear his whisper.  
  
“Now I'll be right back. Kiba is coming home and I promised to help him get settled.”  
  
To anyone who wasn't used to Kiba's family, like Sasuke, it would seem a bit confusing. Kiba had a mother, who should be nurturing in her own way. Naruto had a father, who was supposed to be stern. But in fact, it was quite the opposite. Iruka was usually the one babying either of them, and Tsume usually punished them.  
  
“Hana and Tsume are going to go get some things from the store while I get Kiba into bed.”  
  
Sasuke's eyes flicked to Naruto, who was nodding stiffly.  
  
“Make sure you keep it down for Gaara, and you two get to bed soon yourselves.”  
  
The blond snapped out of whatever stupor he had been stuck in. “Dad...its not even eight at night...”  
  
“Early to bed, early to rise!” He chimed quietly as he trotted down the stairs.  
  
“You going?” Sasuke asked suddenly, watching as the front door close gently.  
  
Naruto turned to give his friend an odd look, his eyes twinkling with understanding. “What do you mean?”  
  
“You going to help Kiba?”  
  
The blond head shook instantly. “He needs a break from me.”  
  
Sasuke rested his head back again the wall. “But don't you think he at least deserves the gesture returned?”  
  
Naruto cracked his lips open to say some sort of irrational rebuttal but found his voice shot dead in his throat. Despite the crazy, confused, teenage dramatized situation he had found himself in with Kiba, he knew what the foundation was. The foundation of the entire thing was help. Kiba put himself on the line to help his friend; freaked out by Naruto's sexual orientation or not. Their friendship was still lying underneath all the bullshit, waiting to be unearthed once more.  
  
Naruto snapped his mouth shut, his blue eyes traveling towards the screen door that was shut, the thick white door being left open. He cracked a small smile. It was never left open.  
  
“If he wakes up, you'll come and get me, right?”  
  
Sasuke gave one nod looking at Naruto as the blond was about to stand. He paused when he was about to push up off the ground. Sasuke raised a curious eyebrow only to find Naruto turning to look at him. Sasuke's eyes shrunk into a glare and Naruto's lips cracked into a full blow smile.  
  
“For a sneaky bastard, you're losing your sneakiness.” Naruto whispered.  
  
“Come again?”  
  
Naruto moved his head forward, only to bump his forehead with Sasuke's, who smirked at him. It was hard to play dumb when you were an cocky Uchiha. Naruto rested his forehead against Sasuke's, noticing it was an unnaturally comfortable position. He smiled lightly at him, his eyes going cross-eyed and causing himself to laugh. Sasuke snorted at him. The blond looked towards the ground, allowing his eyes to adjust.  
  
“Thank you.” Naruto whispered.  
  
The blond jumped lightly when he felt a hand comb through his hair, but his body relaxed once he realized it was Sasuke's. He felt his heart stammer a little when he felt Sasuke's nose brush his.  
Naruto's eyes flicked up and his heart thudded. Sasuke's breathing was tickling his lips, making them tingle it seemed. Naruto felt his world tilt a little at the realization he wanted them to receive the contact they had before. A series of car horn blasts had them yanking apart from each other, slamming their backs against the wall. Naruto clutched his chest, Sasuke looked through the doorway of Naruto's room.  
  
“That's Kiba, Gaara's still asleep. Get moving.”  
  
Naruto hopped up and Sasuke listened to his disappearing footfalls as they landed on each stair he descended. He heard the screen door open and close and breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled his head out of Naruto's doorway and rested it against the wall. He smacked a hand against his forehead roughly, rolling his eyes at the blush he felt on his face.  
  
“Oh come on...” He breathed with an eye roll. “Uchiha's don't blush.”  
___________________________________________________________________________

Naruto sprinted across the lawn, running up quietly as the grass silenced his footfalls. He saw Tsume's car, Kiba's mom. He spotted Iruka leaning in the driver's window, talking to Tsume no doubt. The blond rushed up to the passenger and cut in with huffing breaths to interrupt the adults. He ignored the indignant look Iruka shot him.  
  
He placed his hands on the ledge of the open window, his breath short. He looked at Kiba who was staring at him wide eyed in disbelief.  
  
Naruto cracked a smile. “Thought I missed you.”  
  
The blond pulled back and opened the door, Tsume blindly reached over and undid her son's seat-belt and continued her discussion with Iruka. Naruto extended a helping hand to Kiba. For a moment, it lingered there in the air, as if stuck in limbo. For a moment, the blond thought this bold move was indeed a bad idea.  
  
But then he watched Kiba tenderly grab out and take hold of Naruto's wrist, a small wince coming to his face when he moved his shoulder wrong. The blond leaned down, grabbing his friend and gently pulling him out of the car slowly but surely. Kiba gingerly put his arm around Naruto's shoulders and bared his weight on him. Tsume opened the car door to get out, to go and help settle in her son.  
  
“Naruto's got me.” Kiba called, nodding when the door shut after barely opening.  
  
The blond dared on as they took their first step forward. “Forever?”  
  
There was only a groan when Kiba took his next step with a limp, but he smacked a blond head. “Always.”


	8. The Return, The Secret

Naruto managed to balance Kiba into the house and down the hall into the living room. The stairs, Kiba claimed, would be too much. He let his friend settle himself, afraid his adjusting would hurt the brunette in some way. Of course he recanted and started helping. Kiba let out a relieved sigh once he was finally lying flat on the couch, a few cushions were being tucked here and there underneath him.  
  
“Naruto?”  
  
The blond snapped his hands back, dropping the helpful pillow. “Sorry!”  
  
Kiba chuckled a little. “You didn't hurt me. I swear, the morphine is really potent.”  
  
The blond gave his friend a crooked smile as he bent over to retrieve the fallen pillow. “No wonder you're nice. You're living in a fantasy world.”  
  
Kiba showed his middle finger off rather proudly, causing Naruto to laugh. The blond barely lifted Kiba's knee, causing it to bend slightly and pushed the pillow under.  
  
“Are you okay?” The brunette suddenly asked.  
  
Naruto looked over at him curiously, his gaze drifting back to the blanket trapped under his friend. It would just be easier to get another from the hall closet. “What now?”  
  
“Are you okay?” Kiba stressed, glaring slightly. Here he was trying to be serious for once in his life, and there his friend was drifting into Iruka-land – full of over protectiveness and prevention galore.  
  
“Why wouldn't I be?” Naruto asked, looking at him funny.  
  
The corner of his mouth twitched, he was holding back a smile. Kiba realized it was very unlike him to be the concerned one out of the two. In fact, it probably did seem like the medication was taking control of not only his senses but his emotions. He sighed irritably.  
  
“Because your best friend turned his back on you, betrayed your deepest trust and was a complete jackass.”  
  
It was as if Naruto's mind drifted off once more, his face going blank. He suddenly blinked back into reality, shrugging and turning to go towards the hall closet.  
  
“Naruto, don't start lying to me now.” Kiba called.  
  
“I thought we already talked about this.” The blond called, the closet door squeaking open.  
  
“Of all people, you could hardly call that talking.”  
  
Naruto appeared at the head of the couch, snapping out the blanket with a whip of his hands and letting it glide down to cover Kiba. Blue eyes glared down dangerously, and Kiba felt his mouth drop open.  
  
“I never thought you wouldn't want to talk.”  
  
“It's not that I don't want to talk-”  
  
“Just kill me?”  
  
“-I just thought it would ruin the mood.”  
  
They both stared at each other for a moment before snorting a few times, trying to hold back laughter. It hadn't sounded right at all, and the irony factor just made it more awkward yet humorous.  
  
“Obviously it won't.” Kiba chuckled.  
  
“I blame the drugs.” Naruto sighed, sitting down and disappearing on the other side of the couch, behind Kiba's head.  
  
The blond rested his head against the couch and folded up his knees some, letting his arms rest there. He stared up at the speckled ceiling and sighed, shrugging for no one to see.  
“I'm not okay with being okay.” Naruto said. Then he shook his head, he swore he heard Kiba trying to rattle his brain as well.  
  
“What I mean is, I'm okay, but I don't like it. It's like I simply settled.”  
  
Kiba hummed. “You don't settle.”  
  
“Exactly.”  
  
“But not with just me.”  
  
“I hate your mind reading powers.” Naruto grumbled, pursing his lips. He heard Kiba snicker. “I mean, yes, I'm still hurt by what happened between us, but you've apologized. It's an experience we can grow from.”  
  
“Stop being mature.” Kiba muttered, making Naruto laugh.  
  
“I'm saying it's something we have to get through together. If we want to keep our friendship, that's how it is going to have to work. But at the same time, I'm at this strange peace with switching schools.”  
  
Kiba bobbed his head, even though his friend couldn't see him. “Even though you don't want to leave.”  
  
“Right.”  
  
“It's because we didn't have many friends to begin with. It was always the three of us.” Kiba said, referring to himself, Hinata and Naruto. “Suddenly you made new friends, and had hardships with long standing ones. Your   
foundation has already been rocked in that subject. You're still having it rattled, so it wouldn't be much different.”  
  
“That's true...” Naruto said, looking at the new perspective.  
  
“Plus you're an over protective asshole that can't let his friends do their own thing.” Kiba bit.  
  
Naruto threw up his hands in exasperation. “I would be letting you!”  
  
“No, you wouldn't. You'd be leaving us and abandoning the issue. Running away from it. Instead of all of us facing it together like we always have.”  
  
The blond sighed, opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but Kiba made some random sound to shush him. “You need a real reason to leave the school. Now, regardless, bullying is a legit reason...but you've never backed down from something like that. I know why you ducked your head this last time.”  
  
Naruto bit his lip, not needing to speak the truth out loud. It was hard facing something so difficult in high school. The bullying, the teasing, the insanity. Not only knowing that it was stirred on by your best friend, but he wasn't by your side still supporting you. It had made him duck and cover. Yes, he had his other friends, but it still hurt.  
  
“You wouldn't just be leaving me and Hina anymore, blondie.” Kiba said lightly. “These new kids seem to more than just like you, but love you.”  
  
Naruto went to inquire on how he would know, but mentally slapped himself. Kiba and Hinata still had constant contact.  
  
“I can't hold everyone's hand forever...”  
  
Kiba smiled lightly at the perfect set up he walked Naruto in. “No, you can't. But how long can you walk with your head looking down and not straight ahead?”  
  
There was a long pause and Naruto rose from his seat, giving his friend a dull look. Kiba's eyes were half lidded from exhaustion.  
  
“Fuck you and your philosophical shit.” The blond muttered. A tan hand reached out, almost coming in contact with Kiba's eyes, and instinctively he shut them. Naruto smiled. “Now get some sleep.”  
________________________________________________________________________________

Iruka decided to stay with Kiba while Tsume went off to the pharmacy and grocery store. Despite the fact that Kiba was now out cold with exhaustion and medication, Iruka's protective instincts didn't allow him to leave Kiba's side. He told Naruto to go ahead home and he'd follow suit when Tsume had returned. The blond walked across the connecting yards in the dark, opening the doors and walking in quietly. He was hoping Gaara was still fast asleep, resting and now calm. He walked into the living room out of habit, not thinking about Sasuke being outside of his room, and was surprised to find Gaara sitting on the couch absently watching television.  
Gaara snapped his head to attention when he heard Naruto's footfalls, his expression dead as usual. Naruto smiled at him and joined him on the couch, his eyes flicking to the TV. A random movie was playing.  
  
“Feeling better?” Naruto asked casually, kicking his feet up on the table while Iruka wasn't around.  
  
“Yes, sorry about-”  
  
A tan hand met Gaara's eyes, Naruto silencing him with the gesture. “Don't apologize for something you have no control over, that's ridiculous.” The blond paused, his eyes scanning the room briefly before turning his attention   
back to his friend. “Where's Sasuke, by the way?”  
  
Gaara pointed towards the stairs. “Asleep outside your room. I didn't want to wake him, I figured you would.”  
  
“Give me the dirty work, eh? So nice.” Naruto chuckled.  
  
The teen shrugged. “You have that way with him.”  
  
The blond gave him a funny look. “What do you mean by that?”  
  
Gaara shrugged, his eyes looking down to fiddle with his fingers. “You two balance each other. Where if Sasuke were to get mad at someone, that other person wouldn't be able to handle it or take it. You handle it how he isn't used to. It throws him off, and it's also what he needs. Not so much as someone keeping him in check, but like I said, just simply balancing him.”  
  
Naruto could tell he was blushing, but he pretended not to notice. Maybe he could pass it off as the room suddenly being hot even on such a cool evening. Then he slightly shook his head, realizing he was being silly.  
  
“That's how friendship works though, right?” Naruto said. “That's how we are.”  
  
Gaara looked away, his eyes finding the TV to be a wonderful distraction. “Not like you and Sasuke. Between the two of you, it's far more powerful.”  
  
Naruto fell into silence, over thinking the comment. It couldn't have meant something more. They were friends. Closer than most – yeah. But that didn't mean it was a different kind of connection. The connection he thought Gaara was hinting towards. The blond flushed again, and with a defeated sigh, he turned his attention to the movie as well.  
  
Sometimes something simple was a welcome distraction from the complexities of finding out if you were falling for someone or not.  
________________________________________________________________________

Thank goodness for Iruka Naruto had thought that morning.  
  
Sasuke ended up staying in the hallway, waking to a pillow and blanket accompanying him. Gaara and Naruto were woken from the couch; their necks stiff and their bodies feeling cramped from awkward positions. Luckily, Iruka had woken the boys for school, and for yet another day, Naruto watched his friends go off without him. Kiba's words swam through his head as he watched Gaara and Sasuke walk around his house getting ready for the school day. But since he was still half tired, he couldn't stop thinking about the points Kiba had made.  
  
Gaara was in the shower at the moment and Sasuke was eating a bowl of cereal with Naruto at the small kitchen table. The blond looked up from his bowl of colorful loops and let his spoon spin around in the milk.  
  
“I'm thinking about staying at the school.” He said suddenly.  
  
Sasuke looked up from his bowl, one delicate eyebrow rose in question. “What brought this on suddenly?”  
  
“You don't think I should?”  
  
Sasuke rolled his eyes. “I didn't say that.”  
  
“You implied it.” Naruto said, trying to point out some rift in the words.  
  
“No, I didn't. You brought it up out of the blue.”  
  
The blond shrugged, leaning back in this chair, still in his clothes from the day before. “Its just, I had a talk with Kiba...”  
  
“You guys talked?” Sasuke asked in his monotone.  
  
“You would have known that if you hadn't passed out.”  
  
“I don't run on sugar and idiocy, I go to sleep at normal hours.” Sasuke bit.  
  
“The talk went well, by the way.” Naruto added, rolling his eyes at Sasuke's glare. He could sense the concern, not hear it. Sasuke had a certain way of expressing himself, and it was never in the friendliest manner.  
  
“So, because you and Kiba are friends again, you want to stay at our school? That makes it sound like your were going to leave just because of your fight.”  
  
Naruto pursed his lips. “Of course not. I was doing it to protect people. Make sure you guys didn't get caught up in this and get what Hinata and Kiba did. But, I guess I realized in a way, it's selfish.”  
  
“The world is ending.” Sasuke said dully, leaning back in his seat. “You just said something mature.”  
  
Naruto snorted and tried to hold in a laugh, but busted and let his giggles fill the air. He couldn't help it.  
  
“So you finally realized taking yourself away from your friends in any form is selfish?” Sasuke asked, after Naruto let his laughter die.  
  
“Are you finally admitting we're friends?” The blond snickered and Sasuke rolled his dark eyes. “I'm kidding. I think Kiba realized it and passed the knowledge on, that's all.”  
  
“The moron duo, passing on knowledge. We're doomed.”  
  
“Ass.” Naruto laughed.  
  
“You just need to do what you're comfortable with. Maybe a couple days away was good enough. Maybe a semester or two. I'm not you, so I...”  
  
“Don't know.” Naruto said for him, chuckling under his breath.  
  
“Right.” Sasuke continued, acting like the small hiccup didn't occur in their conversation. “But you can't protect everyone. You can't save everyone. You can only worry about you, idiot.”  
  
“That, Sasuke, is impossible.”  
  
The raven tilted his head back towards the ceiling, looking for some sort of heavenly sign. Instead he grumbled. “Tell me about it.”  
_____________________________________________________________________________

“So by the start of next week you think?” Naruto asked, looking at his two friends.  
  
He wouldn't lie, it felt a little strange. His new cluster of friends were off at school, going about their daily high school routine. While Naruto's life had been flipped upside-down for a moment, it seemed to be righting itself finally. He was sitting with Hinata and Kiba in the Inuzuka household, listening to Tsume in the other room yelling at the school principal for what seemed like the millionth time. Kiba was now at the sitting up point, but also with a glazed over and far off look in his eyes.  
  
Hinata looked from Naruto, to Kiba, to the orange pill bottle in her hands. She held out the warning label towards the blond as reassurance that Kiba didn't have brain damage.  
  
Naruto cleared his throat. “Well, Kiba might come...if he's off the drugs.”  
  
Hinata giggled when the brunette turned to give his friend a weakened glare. “I can't help it.”  
  
“Just don't drool.” Naruto warned. “Anyway, do you think by then it will be good, or should we wait another week?”  
  
The three turned their heads to listen to Kiba's mother irately yell into the phone about getting the school work for the kids. Albeit, calm and rational Iruka had gone to the school to retrieve it, they had yet to be finished with the wrath of a mother.  
  
“I can't fall that far behind.” Kiba groaned, letting his head slowly drop back against the couch cushions. “A week is bad enough.”  
  
Naruto nodded in agreement. He wasn't thrilled with the prospect of all the homework he had to do, but he had a flock of friends on his side for help. All of them had better grades just to show for it.  
  
“I mean, Hinata's home bound teacher already agreed to see us. We just have to catch up with that as well. I think we can manage. I just want to make sure...”  
  
Hinata patted Naruto's head like he was a lost kitten. “We'll b-be safe.”  
  
“Alright, alright.” Naruto sighed, going back and forth with Hinata a million times in an hour. She'd beat him if he went back on going to school again. “Anyway, I figured we can start with-”  
  
The blond rolled his eyes as his phone began to ring and he tugged it out of his pocket. Kiba took this as a sign he didn't have to be a part of the conversation anymore; no more talk of going back to school, homework and stupid high school rumors and drama. He laid down, curling up as best he could.  
  
Naruto collapsed on Hinata's lap, causing the girl to giggle and start to play with his hair. It usually put him to sleep. He sighed into the phone.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
“ _Naruto_?”  
  
He straightened himself back up at the choked sob, looking to Hinata with a surprised expression.  
  
“Sakura, what's wrong?”  
  
“ _Oh, Naruto_...” She sobbed into the phone, obviously covering her face with her hand.  
  
“What's wrong?” He repeated. He looked towards the clock, it was still early, the school day had only just begun. But at this point he had both Kiba and Hinata looking at him with worried looks, exchanging glances back and forth trying to read each others thoughts.  
  
“You need to tell me what's going on.” He said in his best tone. “Take a deep breath.”  
  
She took in a shaky breath and then he heard the phone shuffle around, and another familiar voice struck his ear.  
  
“ _Hey_.”  
  
Sasuke sounded weary, and a little worn. Like someone had made him run all morning against his will and he was expecting it to happen again.  
  
“What's going on?”  
  
Hinata poked Naruto's arm roughly, mouthing the words “speaker phone” and the blond complied. He turned it on just as Sasuke did something very un-Sasuke-like. He sighed.  
  
“ _It started with Ino_...” Sasuke said gently, and Naruto heard Sakura's sobbing pick up in the background. “ _Someone said something_.”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“ _About what she told us when we were doing “If You Really Knew Me” with her not having money for food and stuff. CPS apparently went to her house last night and took her. Sakura just found out this morning when she went to get her_.”  
  
Naruto looked up to Hinata, his eyes bigger than he meant. His heart thudded in his chest. He tried to ease his thoughts, asking common questions. He'd been through something similar.  
  
“They just took her for questioning, right?”  
  
The silence was deafening. It made the three in the room feel like they were choking. Naruto wanted to slam the phone on the ground to get his point across.  
  
“ _I don't think so_...”  
  
“W-what did y-y-you mean “started”?”  
  
_“Then there was Gaara_...”  
  
“What about him?” Naruto snapped.  
  
“ _He had a panic attack, but he left his meds at your house. He started talking about killing himself to make it stop...they stuffed him into an ambulance and wouldn't let me or Sakura say a word to him. I don't know where they took him, but he kept talking about wanting to die_...”  
  
Naruto looked up the stairs towards his room where he remembered setting Gaara medication after giving him a pill. He swallowed thickly, not remembering making him take it with him like usual. His head swam. He felt guilty. Gaara's anxiety and panic had been getting so bad lately, why in the hell hadn't Naruto thought of it?  
  
His stomach churned uncomfortably with the conversation now quiet, no one really having anything to say or knowing where to go from here. The blond swallowed thickly and gave himself a nod of encouragement.  
  
“Get your and Sakura's work for the day and come here, okay?”  
  
He heard Sakura's pitiful voice in the background. _“Please_? _Please, Sasuke_...”  
  
“ _We'll be there soon_.”  
  
With that, the call disconnected, and the three of them were left staring at a blinking screen telling them no answers, but leaving them with simply more questions.  
__________________________________________________________________________

Hinata and Naruto stood outside waiting for Sasuke and Sakura. They could still stay at Kiba's house, it wasn't a problem. Kiba explained to his mom that a few things had gone a bit south, and they'd be expecting more visitors. Upon further interrogation, Tsume relented and went out to get things for dinner for the herd later. The three of them promised peace and more explanations when they knew them.  
  
“This is unreal.” Naruto muttered as he watched Sasuke's car pull up, him and Hinata waving him down to stop early.  
  
“You...y-you think i-it will turn out okay?” Hinata asked with uncertainty.  
  
The blond was silent for a moment as he watched Sasuke open Sakura's door and coax her out. She looked like a cracked doll, a moment away from crumbling. She took her first shaky steps out of the car, hugging her body. Hinata stepped down from the stoop and ran towards her, leaving the question unanswered, considering Naruto was so unsure.  
Hinata, Sakura, and Sasuke walked towards him. Hinata was running her fingers through Sakura's hair, whispering comforting words as they walked. The blond held open the door and rubbed his hand down Sakura's back as she passed. He let the door shut behind them, leaving him alone outside with Sasuke.  
  
He looked less perfect. There were signs of stress and wear on his face, his lips were pursed and his eyes were wondering.  
  
“What's wrong?” Naruto asked gently.  
  
Sasuke's eyes snapped up, causing Naruto's breath to catch in his throat. That dramatic eye lock, full of emotion. Words being passed to each other without things being spoken. A bond so visible. But those walls Sasuke still had up...  
  
“It's nothing...”  
  
“Something happened to you, too, didn't it?” Naruto asked again, trying to push his luck.  
  
Sasuke stepped forward, taking a step up on the stoop. The blond pursed his lips a little when Sasuke came to stand toe to toe with him, realizing he was looking up slightly to keep the eye contact.  
  
“Some things aren't important as others.” The raven muttered, his breath coasting along Naruto's skin. His face tingled, causing his lips to twitch and relax.  
  
“You know you're just as important.” Naruto responded, wondering why his voice wasn't reaching its usual strength.  
  
Naruto blindly reached his hand forward and brushed his fingers against Sasuke's. Instinctively, they twitched back before inching forward, limply lacing with tan digits. Slowly as they stood their, the grip tightened.  
“Sakura needs you.” Sasuke pointed out, not moving from his spot. Naruto's body didn't respond how it usually would, which would be turning on his heel and running to comfort his friend.  
  
Instead, the blond countered. “So do you.”  
  
It was weird how common the kiss felt when their lips were connected by Sasuke's movement alone. It wasn't something that Naruto would usually find completely awkward, but something necessary. Like without this contact they'd lose each other. Without this small gesture, their friendship wouldn't mean the same. It made no sense while it meant everything. Naruto didn't understand, but he didn't fight it.  
  
He found his lips tingling with loss when Sasuke's lips were gone, his blue eyes drifting to find coal mirrors. Sasuke's eyes were gazing down, his forehead came to rest against Naruto's.  
  
“I'll be fine.”  
  
“You're a horrible liar.” Naruto responded.  
  
Sasuke was never one to express himself in anyway. This was showing his need to be around someone. His fright of losing people. The way he clung on Naruto's hand without realizing it. The way he boldly kissed him. It was showing in his own way how much he needed Naruto.  
  
“No idiot. I'm a good liar, until it comes to you.”  
  
With that, Sasuke's fierce tightening grip was gone. The pressure of his forehead had moved away. The light of the sun was now blinding Naruto's eyes. Confusion flooded him as he heard the door open and fall shut behind Sasuke, his footfalls growing more silent as he went further away. He wasn't sure what was going on between the two of them, but it was always easier to deny it and pretend like nothing was happening at all. Naruto realized it always kept him more at ease around his friend. Made it easier to be around him. If he could keep his feelings at bay, he could continue to be around him.  
  
But things were changing. An open Sasuke was closing up, beginning to hide things. Though a closeness of uncertainty was forming, Sasuke was still holding up, unwilling to accept the help Naruto was willing to lend. But the blond knew, with this new change between them – whatever it may be – it was not over. Neither was Naruto finding out what was going on with Sasuke, and how to fix his broken friends.  
  
Even if he had to, he'd find out what was becoming of him and Sasuke. Even if that meant making the great Sasuke Uchiha open up once more, and let go of his secrets. Including, what was wrong right now.


	9. The Secret, The Realization

Naruto stood outside for the briefest of moments. Just to have that one second to himself to take a deep breath. He squared his shoulders and made his hands into fists so they would stop shaking.  
He walked in to find Kiba looking extremely uncomfortable sitting by himself. Still half doped up and unsure of what to do, he was nibbling on his lip when Naruto came into the room.  
For a brief second, Naruto had forgotten the rift his friend had ripped and that he wasn't as close to Sasuke or Sakura. It was like a sudden hostile takeover.  
  
Hinata was still standing with Sakura, Sasuke standing next to them as if watching over them.  
  
“Hey guys, let's just take this to my house. Kiba needs to rest. Tsume doesn't need us all keeping him up. Hinata, take them on over, you know where the spare is. I'm going to tuck in this jackass and I'll be right behind you.”  
  
Her eyes hadn't left his face since he started talking, her hands holding Sakura's, but she was reading his face. She knew how to look at him and read his thoughts. Her brow barely crinkled with concern, but she still nodded in agreement.  
  
Hinata and Sakura walked by still tangled together, Sakura still grasping on to something akin to hope. Sasuke barely glanced at him, didn't even make eye contact, but followed behind the girls. Something about that made Naruto's heart sink.  
  
After the door shut, Naruto counted to five, before un-clenching his fists. He exhaled and ran his hands through his hair. This was overwhelming.  
  
“Why the bailout?” Kiba asked. “Okay, that was a dumb question.”  
  
Naruto gave a halfhearted chuckle. “I appreciate your willingness to help, but we're barely on the right track. The last thing I need is Sakura or Sasuke to say something when everyone's emotions are all over the place.”  
  
Kiba nodded, “I know.”  
  
Naruto stood there still, needing to move but not finding it in himself to do so just yet. Kiba was looking on worriedly.  
  
“It will work out, Naruto,” Kiba tried. He knew it wasn't that reassuring, but he had to say something.  
  
Naruto shook his head as if to wake himself from the daze, but he was still staring off, scared in his thoughts. He then nodded slowly, still staring at the floor before blinking the clarity back into his eyes.  
  
“It's like...nonstop madness, huh?”  
  
“Yeah, but it will stop eventually.”  
  
Naruto felt his chest constrict. He imagined Ino, crying and alone and scared and confused. He pictured Gaara, a frenzy of panic without his meds. He replayed Sakura's distant and broken look. How Sasuke even seemed close to crumbling. How he, Hinata and Kiba were trying to begin to get things on track. When was eventually?  
  
“If you need anything, call. Your mom should be back soon, but you know the drill. Tell her I apologize for ditching so quick.”  
  
Kiba nodded and shooed him along.  
  
Naruto popped out Kiba's front door, jogged the short distance and went in through his. He popped off his shoes and looked in the living room. Hinata was holding Sakura to her, sitting on the couch and whispering to each other, their faces close. It seemed like some of Sakura's clarity was coming back to her, but Naruto doubted that frown would be going anywhere anytime soon. He knew better than to look for Sasuke in that room, and turned and peaked into the kitchen. No sight. He looked up the stairs and saw Sasuke sitting with his back against Naruto's bedroom door, his head tipped back and resting gently.  
Naruto poked his head into the living room until he made eye contact with Hinata who gave the slightest of nods. He pointed to the top of the stairs and she nodded.  
He climbed quickly up the stairs, but Sasuke never moved. Naruto sat next to him, resting his back against the wall. He just turned to face him, his eyes dancing over Sasuke's features. His eyes were closed, his face slightly pinched to the point he probably didn't realize it.   
  
His hair was slightly frizzled. “They are scary.”  
  
Naruto waited for Sasuke to finish, because he wasn't quite sure what he meant. His friend didn't continue, so he urged on.  
  
“What?”  
  
“The panic attacks. I mean, the one he had here, it was manageable. I tried talking to him, tried reasoning with him – anything. It was like he didn't even recognize me. Like he didn't know where he was. He was so...so...”  
  
“Panicked, Sasuke. The word is panicked,” Naruto said gently.  
  
“I couldn't even begin to help him. I was helpless. I've never been that helpless.”  
  
Naruto's lips twitched into a frown as he remembered the familiar feeling. It was a tough pill to swallow. He reached over and grabbed Sasuke's hand and held on to it with a tight grip. He saw Sasuke's face loosen a bit, and he swiped his thumb over is knuckles in a reassuring gesture.  
  
“If you open your eyes you can stop watching the footage that's burned into your eyelids.”  
  
Sasuke gave a small and unamused snort before blinking his eyes open to stare at the ceiling. His hand was limp in Naruto's grip, which was slightly disconcerting to the blond.  
  
“There is something else you aren't telling me.” Naruto whispered. This time, it caused Sasuke to look over at him.  
  
Their eyes searched each others endlessly it seemed. Looking for unshared thoughts, words and secrets. Looking for pain or joy. Just looking. It was uncomfortable and exhilarating at the same time. So gentle and intimate. So personal.  
  
Sasuke exhaled long and slow, as if he had held his breath, “Now isn't the time.”  
  
Naruto could respect that, albeit would drive him to the brink with worry until he knew. Instead he nodded, a gesture of understanding and respect. He would drop it until Sasuke was ready.  
  
“Just this once,” he whispered with a small smile.  
  
Sasuke returned the look with a smirk. “I wouldn't expect you to be so relenting, Uzumaki.”  
  
“I'm not making it a habit.”  
  
Just like that, in a blink of an eye, Sasuke leaned over and pressed their lips together. It was so different than the other brief moments. It was pressed; hard and passionate. His free hand coming up to cup the side of Naruto's face with such a grip of desperation it caused Naruto to snap his eyes open for a moment. He hadn't realized how far back he had been pushed back to lean until he saw Sasuke was nearly over top of him. Naruto broke their lips apart briefly, grabbed Sasuke's wrist as if to say “don't stop” and guided him back slightly from there. Their eyes locked for the quickest of moments, and the moment alone made Naruto's stomach soar, dip, flip and flop. It made his heart hammer suddenly. A small chill went down his spine and for some reason a twinge of fear poked at him.  
  
Then there was Sasuke again, pressing back again with more fervor. Connecting and pulling back and connecting and pressing. It made Naruto's head spin. They were innocent and needy. Caring.  
Sasuke slipped his hand up from Naruto's face to buried in his hair to grabbing the back of his head to bring him closer if possible.  
  
Naruto parted his lips at the next contact, and though Sasuke's lips met his teeth at first, he quickly changed it around. Their opened mouths molded together and at first, it was hot and breathy and weird, Naruto thought. Then Sasuke's tongue was there, in his mouth, gliding along his asking it to react. Naruto sucked in a breath and did his best with twisting and turning his tongue and breathing. Sasuke pulled back, pressing more chaste kisses across his lips, Naruto trying to suck in breaths between them. His heart was pounding to the point it was all he could hear. The hairs on his arms were raised and he was pretty sure his hands were shaking for some damn reason. Then there was Sasuke on his mouth again, their lips parting breathlessly and their tongues dancing together. Sasuke was pulling back again, planting those long pressed kisses against his lips. The sweet linger of them. The quiet pressure.   
  
Sasuke's hand was on the side of Naruto's neck, their interlaced fingers cramped from their fierce hold. Sasuke rested his face temple to temple with Naruto, their cheeks brushing, and when Sasuke turned slightly their noses touched. They breathed audibly for a moment, their breath having been taken away and they tried to get it back. Tried to have their hearts settle. Naruto's cheeks were still flushed. Sasuke's thumb was making gentle strokes on Naruto's neck, and Sasuke pressed one last kiss on Naruto's cheek. The blond tried to turn his face to receive a second one on the lips, already missing the action, but Sasuke was pulling back. He untangled their fingers and went back to sitting next to Naruto opposed to directly on him. Naruto was still frozen in place.  
  
Sasuke cleared his throat, beginning to stand and not making eye contact. “We need to find out about Ino and Gaara...check on Sakura.”  
  
Naruto blinked back confusion at such a sudden shift, but shook himself out of his stunned pose. He nodded, clearing his own throat and following suit. His head was still reeling when they turned into the living room. Sasuke went and sat in the chair, leaned forward and pinched the bridge of his nose with a pained expression. It made Naruto feel like someone kicked him in his gut. As if it wasn't confusing enough with all this random kissing and hand holding. Now he chose to sit in a single chair where Naruto couldn't be near him, looking like he just made a mistake and was sick over it. Naruto felt his stomach churn and he looked away, hoping his face was as poised as he was trying to make it. He took a seat on the other side Sakura on the couch, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her towards him. She leaned into him, her fingers still gripping Hinata's.  
  
“Now what?” She asked, her voice weak and pained.  
  
“Right now we wait, see if they contact us.”  
  
“If they don't?” She twisted in his arms, her face turned up towards his.  
  
He rubbed her arm with the palm of his hand, trying to comfort her. “Then we find a way to contact them.”  
____________________________________________________________________________

The first few hours were agonizing.  
  
It was more emotional than Naruto realized it would be when his dad called. Tsume had called Iruka confused as the day was long, and Iruka called Naruto to get answers.  
  
He wasn't sure why he started crying into the phone originally. As soon as the front door closed behind him he might have felt safe enough to let go. Maybe it was the fact that everything was finally hitting him. Maybe it didn't help he was so lost and confused. It wasn't the best thing that he was realizing he was having some type of feelings for Sasuke and he sure as shit didn't know what they were. He wanted to tell all of this to Iruka. For his dad to be there holding him in a tight hug, his fingers combing through Naruto's hair the way he always did to calm him down. Of course he really only covered the summary of Ino and Gaara, then left his teenage hormonal confusion to hand in the wind, and sobbed like a child into the phone.  
  
He didn't care that he was a teenager in high school, he felt like a lost little boy and he wanted his dad.  
  
Iruka calmed him over the phone, constantly reassuring him with, “ _My sweet boy, I know_ ” and “ _It will be alright in time_ ” and his countless other things Iruka always managed to get out.  
  
It took a solid five minutes of Iruka talking to him so he could stop sobbing. Ten minutes for the tears to ultimately stop. Then it took an extra ten minutes on top of that to assure Iruka he as okay and he didn't need to rush home just yet. He had been overwhelmed and it had gotten to him.  
  
The front door was practically ripped open behind him and he turned so fast it made his neck crack. Hinata was gesturing for him to hurry inside, “Ino's on the phone!”  
  
“Dad, thank you. Ino is on the phone, love you.”  
  
Iruka had just enough to time reply “ _I love you more_ ” before Naruto hung up, turning and walking into the house.  
  
Sakura was sitting at the edge of her seat, her phone clutched in her hands like a life line, and the phone on speaker.  
  
She was staring at the screen, tears lining her cheeks. Hinata rushed back over to her, Naruto joined them. Slowly, Sasuke came over and sat on the table opposite of them.  
  
“They have to connect the call.” Sakura whispered. “Said it would be a-”  
  
“ _Sakura_!?”  
  
The first minute was Sakura and Ino crying with shared relief. Sakura clutched the phone with white knuckles pressing it against her cheek as if she could feel her friend.  
  
Ino explained in between sniffles and choked tears what was going on. It was hard to make out at some points, but Sakura always knew what she had said. For the meantime, it was a 72 investigation period. Ino said she had been questioned for so long she didn't know what else to even say. She had to apparently beg for a phone call and had to be monitored in case she tried to call her parents. She didn't know much about what was going on except that she was scared and she missed everyone. It broke Naruto's heart. He had been through a lot with Iruka, and the scariest moment was when he thought he would lose him as a father.  
  
She assured Sakura she was okay, she'd be back in a few days and would call again. Then she was being told her time was up on the phone.  
  
Everyone chimed in together about seeing her soon, and not to worry and they were here for her and a few other things that got jumbled in the fray. They heard her sweet giggled reply.  
  
For a fleeting moment, Sakura looked okay. When they said their goodbyes and the phone disconnected, the girl succumbed back to tears, kissing the screen lightly as she did.  
  
Sakura looked up, her tear tracks prominent on her face. She was still leaning on her knees, her phone still clutched in her fingers. “Do you think Gaara will call?”  
  
Naruto shook his head after a second of hesitation, “I'm not sure. It's unlikely he'll call today. Unless he needs us to cheer him up. At this point, he might be too humiliated. Yet...he might need to just hear us say it's okay and he'd doing the right thing. It's a tough call.”  
  
“Can we call and see where he is?”  
  
Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who was staring at him with a blank face. The blond looked away. Upstairs there had been longing and care and now nothing. For some damn reason that bothered Naruto, and he knew it shouldn't. There wasn't anything going on between them. Or really there was, but he wasn't sure what. It was obviously not serious, maybe. Was it? What in the hell was it anyway, this thing they were doing? Was it anything at all? He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to force the thoughts into the back of his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut.  
  
“Some places won't release that information. Some will. Uh, I could try to call around and play the frantic brother card. If you raise enough hell they usually don't waist time to look it up to see if you're being truthful. So there's that.   
I don't even know if they have him yet. For all we know he can still be at the hospital for emergency evaluation. Which in that case, it will be harder. Then...”  
  
His phone began buzzing in his pocket, loud and obnoxious with a ring tone only fit for his father. He sighed, pulling it out. Iruka was calling back to check in.  
  
He pressed the phone to his ear, didn't even bother with pleasantry, “She's okay dad.”  
  
“ _Good to hear. And you_?”  
  
Naruto shrugged like his dad could see it, “I'm getting there-ish.”  
  
Iruka chuckled softly, “ _Gaara's parents contacted me_.”  
  
Naruto dropped his hand from his face and snapped his attention to Hinata. His eyes were wide and his heart fluttered. It did make sense. Gaara had been hanging out with them a lot, Iruka had shared information for psychiatric issues. They had Iruka's number, not Naruto's. He didn't even think about it. Hinata was standing practically squashed next to him, listening in.  
  
“Well?”  
  
“ _It's a mandatory seventy-two hour stay. He threatened his life. They have to_.”  
  
Naruto nodded, wincing, “I hate to say it, but good.”  
  
Iruka hummed in agreement. “ _But according to his mother, it was bad. They had to sedate him. He took a swing at the doctor_.”  
  
Naruto took a deep, harsh breath. Hinata stepped back, took the phone and put it on speaker. “I-Iruka?”  
  
There was the slightest of pauses, “ _Speaker phone_?”  
  
Both Naruto and Hinata chimed, “Yes.”  
  
“ _Well, to be frank, I think he will be in for awhile. His mother said the doctor told her he would be at the local ward for now, but there is a good chance he is transferring to the state one to get more help.”_  
  
“State is like, long-term though, right?”  
  
“ _Yes_.”  
  
Naruto didn't like the short answer, but he knew there wasn't much to say on the subject. They didn't have all the answers just yet.  
  
“How long until we can see him?”  
  
Iruka chuckled lightly, “ _Knew you would ask, so I asked him mom. Try to wait a day or two, but she said she'd tell me first thing_.”  
  
Naruto looked at Hinata, who put her hand over his on the phone. She gave it a small squeeze. “Okay dad, thank you.”  
  
“ _Sure thing. I'll be home soon. Cashed in some PTO_.”  
  
Naruto smiled lightly. He never had to tell Iruka to come home or not, his dad just did. Iruka was a good enough judge to say whether his son needed him. It was one of those times, no matter what Naruto said, Iruka knew he was needed. “Drive safe.”  
  
“ _Just won't tell you when I don't. I'll see you soon, love you_.”  
  
“Love you more, bye pops.”  
  
Naruto put his phone back in his pocket and glanced around the room, everyone still looking strained and stressed and worn thin.  
  
“Well, since this day is just going so well, let's say we get some lunch?”  
_________________________________________________________________________

Hinata decided to wait for Iruka, which was lucky, because he came right through the door with a couple of pizza's and some soda.  
  
Naruto helped relieve him, “I have to say I might end up getting sick of pizza.”  
  
Iruka feigned a shocked gasp as they went towards the kitchen, “The world is ending. Call the president!”  
  
They set everything down, and before Naruto could even have his next thought, Iruka was twisting him around into a fierce hug. Naruto leaned into him, sighing. Iruka rubbed comforting circles over his back, gently rocking them both side to side. Naruto remembered when his face only reached Iruka's belly. His dad always did this when he inevitably got hurt playing outside.  
  
Naruto pulled back slowly, Iruka began fussing at his clothes, making the blond smile fondly.  
  
“Dad...I didn't know life could get so crazy so fast.”  
  
“I know. It has its ways of blind-siding you. Bad and good and up and down and you never know what will happen next.”  
  
Naruto hummed in agreement, thinking about all the things that had gone wrong and the very few that had gone right. Yet here his dad was, half in the dark with most things and trusting him to come to him when the time was right. There was never a better time than the present. If the storm was in full swing, might as well go play in the rain.  
  
“Dad, did you ever wonder what happened between Kiba and me? I know you knew we had a falling out.”  
  
Iruka shrugged, fixing his hair like he always did. Always saying it was so messy.  
  
“I knew you'd come talk to me if you needed.”  
  
“He found out...well-no, actually- I _told_ him... _something_.”  
  
“Naruto don't make things harder on yourself. If you don't want to talk about something it's fine. You know that.”  
  
Naruto nearly stamped his foot, “I know. I know. The thing is dad, it is literally now or never. So many things have gone wrong, and so damn quick. So I can either have them get worse and ride out the storm or maybe just maybe, I get a dash of sunlight. I told him I was gay.”  
  
Maybe it came out more choked than he wanted, but Iruka didn't even flinch. Didn't even seem like he heard his son. Even took a step back to recheck his hair before stepping forward and rearranging it more.  
All the breath Naruto had sucked in began to leak out of his nose. His hands started shaking even more, and the fluttering in his chest made him feel lightheaded. His eyes were searching Iruka's face, looking for any sign.   
  
Anything.  
  
“Dad...” Naruto whispered.  
  
Iruka locked eyes with him and smiled warmly. “Naruto, that's exactly it. I'm your father. I know you better than you know yourself while you go through these horrible teenage years of discovery. I knew you were gay at five. You had about half a dozen crushes on little boys in your class. I didn't love you any less.”  
  
“How come you still gave me all those birds and the bees talks if you knew?” Naruto questioned.  
  
“Years of discovery. Some people don't come to terms with it right away. I saw you struggling with it, and I thought, maybe you might try a girl before you realized. I wanted you to be safe.”  
  
Naruto was blushing, “Okay, fair enough.”  
  
Iruka chuckled, “I'll stop with the embarrassing dad talk.”  
  
Naruto felt like a weight had been lifted from him. From his chest, his shoulders and his stomach. Like he was finally coming to grips with himself. Be might not have control over everything else, but this – himself, he could.  
  
“I'll get the glasses and you get the plates? Let's not leave our guests starving. We can finish up this entire discussion tonight over something not pizza.”  
  
Naruto reached out and pulled Iruka in the biggest hug he could muster without causing pain.  
  
“Thank you, dad. So much.”  
___________________________________________________________________________

Sakura decided to stay the night at Hinata's. Sasuke decided he'd be the one to take them home.  
  
So Naruto had the night with him and his dad.  
  
He explained everything from start to finish, save the fine details like everything that had been happening with he and Sasuke. He needed to work his own way through that before talking to his dad about it. He talked about the time they all bonded in the circle for the therapy game, to the second Iruka walked in the front door earlier that day. He explained his confusions and his joys and his worries. Ever the patient father, Iruka listened to it all. He was used to how chatty his son could be, and while some days it could be a little too much, tonight it felt like it wasn't enough.  
  
“Everything alright with Sasuke?”  
  
Naruto felt his face flush, but he tried to play it off. “What do you mean?”  
  
“You didn't mention him once.”  
  
Naruto looked away and blinked through his mental recall of everything. Sure enough, desperately trying to stay away from the things that had happened with him, he just didn't mention him at all.  
  
The blond sighed, rubbing at his face and shaking his head.  
  
“I don't know...”  
  
“I'm not pushing the subject I'm just making sure everything is okay. That's my job.”  
  
Naruto sighed, “I know. I do, I really do. All in due time, that I promise.”  
  
Iruka smiled, slapped his thighs and sighed, “As much as I am enjoying this, I have to be up for work in five hours. You have cleaning duty.”  
  
Naruto laughed and rolled his eyes but went to work picking up their mess they had made with snacks and drinks. They said their good nights,  
Naruto climbed the stairs to his room a few minutes later, stopping at the top right at the door. He paused and stared where he had sat with Sasuke, his mind flashing with reminders. His heart beat with the confusion. He shook his head, biting down the thoughts.  
  
He opened his door and eyed the bottle of medication, still sitting on his bedside table. He walked over to his bed when he took a seat, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped and handing there. He stared at the bottle and got lost in his thoughts. He leaned back and rolled properly on the bed, buried himself under his blankets, and cried.


	10. The Realization, The Downfall

Naruto couldn't seem to sleep well that night. He had finally given up when he heard Iruka – still quiet as ever, of course – get up and leave for work. Four in the morning seemed a little cruel, and a few hours of sleep seemed even worse, but Naruto knew he wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon. He took the time to get out of the clothes he wore yesterday, slipping on a pair of pajama pants and not bothering to don a shirt. It was still dark outside, and he didn't bother turning on the lights in hopes his eyes would get too tired. He took his time going down the steps, turning on the TV and finding something to watch. He took his phone out of his pocket and checked it, even though he knew everyone was asleep. He had gotten a text from Kiba at one in the morning, probably unable to sleep from uncomfortable soreness.  
  
_Wanted to make sure everything was alright. Txt me back._  
  
Naruto still felt weird talking to Kiba. Apologies went so far, and after Kiba explained himself, Naruto could understand to an extent. He knew though, deep down inside, things were never going to be the same between them. They would never be as close, they would never talk as much and Naruto knew he might have some trust issues with Kiba now. There was now a little switch flipped on in the back of his mind to be cautious of what he told him. It caused   
Naruto inner turmoil. His best friend, whom he told every sole thing to, he felt like he couldn't anymore.  
  
_No worries, just have to let everything sort itself out. Hope you're finally getting some sleep_.  
  
Naruto tossed the phone. With a twinge of guilt he realized he didn't want Kiba to text him back. He let his head fall back against the back of the couch.  
It was hard to think of something else asides the clusterfuck that had happened recently. He so desperately wanted to take his mind off of it. To just let it all go.  
His phone started buzzing from a phone call, he turned his head to stare at the phone as it danced in place from vibration. The screen was facing down, but he knew it had to be Kiba. He was the only one up and the only one daring enough to call Naruto before sunrise when he didn't have to go to school. He stared and stared and thought about not answering. He didn't want to dance around the subject of not wanting to tell him what was going on. He didn't have it in him to pretend he was fine and things were on the mend. He knew the phone was about to go to voicemail, and for some stupid damn reason he decided to pick up the phone. Kiba knew he was up, he just texted him, he just needed to get it over with.  
  
“Hey, I thought you'd be asleep, I didn't mean to wake you.”  
  
_“Wrong person_?”  
  
Gaara's voice hit Naruto like a few ton of bricks. He felt his lips part in shock, but for a moment he held his breath.  
  
“G-man?”  
  
There was a pause, “ _I still hate that nickname_.”  
  
Naruto felt tears sting his eyes. He felt choked up.  
  
“Still gunna use it.”  
  
Naruto heard the sad, small chuckle. He knew right away Gaara was trying not to cry himself.  
  
“ _So_...”Naruto sat forward, raking his hand through his hair. “How are the new diggs?”  
  
He heard a sniffle from Gaara, but his voice came back less strained. More normal.  
  
“ _They're not so bad when the sedation wears off. Let me make a couple of phone calls to help relax me. My actual bed isn't bad. Medication is a bit rough, but hey. Least the food is edible._ ”  
  
Naruto actually laughed, “You've been hanging around me too much.”  
  
Gaara let out a choked up laugh himself, but it was a genuine one that had been brought from deep down. Like it had a lot to break through first.  
  
“Talk to me, I've been so worried. And I swear if you apologize for that I will come there and hit you.”  
  
“ _It's been a long time coming, Naruto. It really has. I just got worse and worse until something just pushed me over the edge. They're going to transfer me to a better facility in a couple days, maybe a week. I asked_.”  
  
Naruto felt his lips twitch, itching to say he didn't want Gaara to go far away. He knew it was selfish, but he couldn't help it.  
  
“Good. Do you know which one?”  
  
“ _No, not yet. I'll tell you when I do_.”  
  
“Promise?”  
  
Gaara let out a small chuckle, “ _I don't know who's more anxious about me going to a state facility_.”  
  
“I'm sorry. I guess, I've just been over thinking everything. I don't want to stress you out, I don't - you know that, but I don't...no, I can't lose you. I just can't. You're my friend. One of my best friends. So you need to get better and come home. No rush, you hear? I just need you to get better and when that time comes, you come home.”  
  
It was suddenly very quiet. Naruto couldn't help but be on the verge of tears. He meant every word. Every little syllable of what he said, he meant it from the bottom of his heart. He hadn't known Gaara for long, but he had made a place in Naruto's heart forever. That's just how Naruto was. He cared and he did it fiercely and with incredible passion.  
  
“ _Thank you. Thank you_.” Gaara's voice was choked and of course Naruto instantly felt guilty for making him cry, but he had to have Gaara know.  
  
“You're not going to be alone in this, okay?” He was crying now. More of that overwhelmed emotion just bubbling over. He couldn't help it. “I might not be there all the time and I might be farther away but I am here. I support you.   
You can and will get through this. I know you will. Okay?”  
  
It was a silent cracked response, “ _Alright_.”  
  
Naruto spent the remainder of the phone call cracking really bad jokes. He didn't stop until Gaara was laughing and the time limit was nearly up.  
  
“You call me again when you can and let me know everything!”  
  
“ _I promise. I'll call again soon_.”  
  
“Get some rest.”  
  
“ _You too, thank you_.”  
  
Naruto waited until Gaara disconnected the phone and his screen was flashing the call had ended.  
  
Naruto knew it was still before five in the morning and everyone he knew was asleep, but he still sent out a group text. He really hated group texts, he did, but sometimes they were handy.  
  
He sent it to Sasuke, Hinata and Sakura:  
  
_Gaara just called, spoke briefly. He's okay. They'll be transferring him per his request. He will update us as things progress._  
  
Simple and straight to the point.  
  
He tossed his phone back over on the couch and decided to channel surf. He had forgotten what horrible shit they played at ungodly hours of the morning. He decided to wonder into the kitchen and see what he could muster for breakfast. He wasn't even hungry, but he needed something to do.  
  
He made a bowl of cereal and popped in a movie that he'd seen so many times he lost count. He could walk out of the room for five minutes and come back in quoting it.  
  
When his phone dinged signaling he had a new text message, he glanced at the clock. Still thirty minutes until five in the morning. He figured it might be Iruka. He had an odd habit of texting Naruto after he left for work reminding him of something or to tell him something positive.  
  
He dug in his spoon and shoveled a large amount in his mouth while he picked it up, flicking his finger across the screen.  
  
His heart jumped at the sight:   
  
_Sasuke: Are you still up?_  
  
Naruto hesitated for a fraction of a second. **Yeah,**  
  
 _Can I come over?_  
  
**Of course. I'll leave the door unlocked, I'm in the living room, just come on in.**  
  
Part of Naruto felt like he should absolutely panic. The anxiety that flared up in his stomach that rose to his chest made him think that was a wise thing – to panic. The other side, the side that was tired, confused, alone, afraid, exhausted and worried just took everything out of him. He wanted to see Sasuke. One part of him, the one who still remembered the heated kissing and the awkward after air, did not want to see him. The other, who still knew something was wrong with Sasuke, needed to see him.  
  
Naruto lost himself in his thoughts, cereal and the musical number in the movie he was watching. He hummed along, munching away. He heard the door open and swallowed his mouth full of food. He turned to see Sasuke shuffling in with a hoodie and pajama pants and bare feet.  
  
He came and sat down next to Naruto, sitting close enough to press their shoulders together. This of course made Naruto extremely self aware that he didn't have a shirt on still.  
  
He leaned forward and put his bowl and the table, coming back and looking over at Sasuke. His eyes were blankly fixed on the TV. He looked dead tired. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy. He looked just a shade paler, but Naruto figured it was the poor lighting.  
  
“You alright?”  
  
Sasuke's eyes flicked over from the TV to his face, and Naruto absently wondered if there would ever come a day when looking directly into Sasuke's eyes would not have his heart jump.  
  
Sasuke didn't answer, and after a moment, his eyes went back to the television.  
  
For a split second, Naruto felt his heart drop. He felt a little miffed that Sasuke just ignored him like that. Then he snapped out of it. Sasuke didn't want to talk or argue or have some stupid ass discussion about feelings and emotions and all the things that had happened lately. He just wanted company. He just wanted to be here, right now, with Naruto.  
  
“Same movie or a different one?” Naruto asked, flicking his eyes back to the TV.  
  
He looked to see Sasuke nod towards the television out of the corner of his eye.  
  
“This one it is,” Naruto replied.  
  
He felt Sasuke slip his hand in his, and without another word, they sat together. Naruto nor Sasuke could recall actually watching the movie.  
____________________________________________________________________________

Naruto was instantly regretting falling asleep on the couch.  
  
It usually left him sore and unrested, and yet he kept seeming to fall asleep there. The menu for the movie was on the screen, and he looked to find the spot for Sasuke empty. He instantly felt diappointed and a little sad. Yet with how Sauske had been seeming lately, he wasn't at all surprised he had up and left without a word. Didn't help that it seemed he came for company and Naruto fell asleep. The blond sighed, stood up and stretched some and went towards the bathroom. He turned the corner and bumped right into Sasuke.  
  
“Oh I thought you left...”  
  
Sasuke's face twisted slightly, “You really think I would just up and leave and not say anything?”  
  
Naruto rubbed at the side of his face awkwardly, feeling rude, “I would hope you wouldn't, but for the past twenty-four hours since I have no idea what's going on with you I wouldn't be surprised.”  
  
Sasuke looked slightly surprised, and hurt slightly - it was the barely parted lips and just raised eyebrows, but it faded quickly.  
  
“I wouldn't.”  
  
“I believe you,” Naruto replied quickly.  
  
Sasuke went to walk back to the living room, but Naruto spoke up right as he was next to him, “Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?”  
  
Sasuke turned to him, “I just don't want to be there today.”  
  
“Okay,” Naruto said quietly.  
  
Sasuke went to walk off again, but Naruto stopped him, “Sasuke, you have to talk to me. What's going on?”  
  
“I can't yet. I just can't talk about it yet.”  
  
Naruto clenched his jaw briefly, “I'm trying to respect that, I promise. But I'm worried about you.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because I care about you,” Naruto retorted. He didn't even flush.  
  
“Why?” Sasuke barely stressed. He was making a face, like he was slightly pained. His eyes searched around Naruto's face, always checking his eyes.  
  
“Because you're important to me.” Naruto stomped his foot. “Just tell me if you're going to be okay or not. Please. Just that at least.”  
  
“I will be. I always am,” Sasuke said, looking down at his feet.  
  
“Then I'll be right here until then, and even after. Okay?”  
  
Sasuke looked up, and there was Naruto, like usual. Such a passion and care for the people close to him. Caring and loving and unwavering allegiance with his friends. Sasuke knew, no matter what, Naruto would still be there for him.  
  
Sasuke leaned forward, his hand coming up and resting flat against Naruto's lower abdomen, and he pressed his lips against Naruto's cheek. He lingered for just a small moment before pulling away, turning away from Naruto and slowly dragging his hand against his skin. Naruto shivered when the touch was gone, and if Sasuke had been looking at him he would have probably laughed.  
Sasuke had gone back to his seat on the couch, and Naruto took his turn in the bathroom. When he came back, he glanced out the window. The sun was just starting to come up, so he guessed he had slept for a couple of hours. Now he was even more tired.  
  
He looked to Sasuke, his eyes half lidded with sleep. His eyes still bloodshot. Naruto walked to him, leaned forward and grabbed his hand and gave it a small tug. Sasuke complied, and Naruto turned and held his hand as he led him out of the room. They climbed the stairs like that, with Sasuke in tow and Naruto pulling him slowly along. Naruto opened the door and walked over towards his bed where he dropped Sasuke's hand.  
  
He turned and dropped on the edge with a bounce, “The couch is uncomfortable and I need some more sleep. You don't have to but I just figured...”  
  
Sasuke unzipped his hoodie, revealing that he himself wasn't wearing a shirt. Naruto had snapped his mouth shut somewhere at some point and had lost all thought process. Sasuke had very smooth looking, pale skin. There wasn't a blemish or scar in sight. His stomach was flat with some muscle definition. Naruto realized that he had more muscle tone than Sasuke, and he felt that was brag worthy. Sasuke had broad shoulders, now that Naruto was properly looking at them, and a broader chest than Naruto had originally thought. Sasuke moved his hands to signal Naruto to scoot over. The blond did, scooting backwards towards the wall and swinging his legs towards the end of the bed to make more room.   
  
Naruto then watched Sasuke do the most ungraceful thing he had done thus far, and that was to toss himself face down on the bed. Naruto snorted and that rolled into a laugh. Sasuke was trying to glare at him, but his hair was tossed over his face very unceremoniously. Sasuke reached over and grabbed around Naruto stomach and latched on to his side and tugged, making Naruto laugh even harder. Naruto was tugged down and over to Sasuke, flush against him. He was on his back and Sasuke was still on his stomach, leaving his arm to lounge over Naruto's stomach, just draping over him. Naruto reached over and moved his hair out of his face and leaned over awkwardly to place a kiss on Sasuke's lips.  
  
He placed his hand on Sasuke's arm, hunkered down into his spot facing the ceiling and shut his eyes. He'd only ever been able to sleep lying on his back if he was dead tired. Soon he heard Sasuke's breath even out to soft and gentle with the occasional little snore. Surprisingly, just that sound alone lulled Naruto to sleep.  
____________________________________________  
  
Sasuke had never once woke up next to anyone in his entire life.  
  
He never really thought about it or even considered it. He didn't take the time to look that far into the future where it might one day become the norm.  
It had to have been afternoon when he woke, the sun was beating directly into Naruto's window, and he had already learned that only happened in the late afternoon. His eyes adjusted and slowly his body woke with him. It slowly dawned on him there was something warm pressed against him, his arm was pinned snugly. That thing was Naruto.  
  
The blond was turned towards him, half curled to the point his forehead was resting on Sasuke's chest. He couldn't remember when he turned from his stomach to his side, but in the mix and match of movements, his other arm must have tried to grab on and gotten trapped under Naruto.  
  
Something about this made him feel so comfortable he swore he could have gone back to sleep. Another part of him felt so exposed. So vulnerable.  
  
So of course, with Sauske being Sasuke, he lightly pulled his arm from out under Naruto. He got up from the bed and grabbed his hoodie. He went right downstairs, sat on the couch, and acted like it never happened.  
______________________________________________________________________________  
The next week went by like a blur. Everything happened so quickly. Naruto felt like he was barely keeping up  
  
Sasuke still hadn't told him what was going on. Of course after they fell asleep together, Sasuke said what felt like two words to him since. He had gotten to the point he completely ignored Naruto when the blond would ask what was wrong. Naruto didn't even want to ask what was going on between them, because he didn't even know himself.  
  
Ino had come home. She was loaded with guilt, but she was home. Her parents were the farthest thing from mad at her, and she seemed more at ease the past few days. Her, Sakura and Hinata had become quite the trio. Kiba and Naruto still didn't hang out. Naruto and Kiba both tried to kick up conversations occasionally over texts, but they died out so quick they'd often wondered why they bothered. It was weighing heavy on Naruto. As per the new usual, Naruto acted like it didn't bother him. He never wavered in front of his friends. Always rallied them while they were down. He was the one getting everyone together.  
He spoke to Gaara every day. Sometimes it was just the two of them, sometimes it was him and the girls on speaker phone while Gaara tried to keep up with conversation. Yet either way, like clockwork, Gaara would call him at six in the evening and they would talk for as long as possible before he got kicked off the phone.  
  
Today was the day he was finally able to go physically visit Gaara before his friend went three hours away to a state hospital.  
  
He went with the entire group. That still didn't make it any easier. Visiting someone in a mental health facility was just plain awkward. Having to wait in line, to be searched, to sign off and so on. It was a long, awkward and silent process.  
  
He waited for everyone to have their turn. He didn't want to be rude, but he wanted his time alone with Gaara. So he stood at the back of the group while everyone talked to him, including himself. By that it was mostly Ino, Sakura and Hinata. Ino had latched on to his hand after the first words out of his mouth were checking on her. She was so touched. Surprisingly, it didn't seem to bother him. It gave Naruto a little bit of hope.  
Hinata, always the one who knew Naruto the best, caught on he wanted one on one time. After a good solid half-hour of all of them talking to Gaara, she finally got the rest of them to call it. It seemed like everyone got the silent drift though, because it seemed like everyone realized Naruto wanted to talk to him. Like the amazing people they were, they just knew, didn't question it and went to patiently wait outside. This was one of those moments that made him so happy to know the people he did.  
  
Naruto stood there before finally asking, “Can I please hug you?”  
  
Gaara actually laughed with barely a nod, and Naruto was around the table embracing him with all his strength. He was so scared he was hurting him but he just couldn't let up.  
  
“I've missed you like crazy. How are you feeling? Good, I'm guessing because I can touch you and you're okay with it.”  
  
Naruto finally pulled off and looked him over from top to bottom. He looked lighter, somehow. Like someone was taking some of the weight off his shoulders. His eyes were a little brighter, he had more color to him.  
  
“I'm doing...good. I'm actually doing good. This place they're sending me specializes in OCD and anxiety. I can also get care packages, just saying.”  
  
Naruto laughed at that which put a small smile on Gaara's face.  
  
“Looks like this guy right here is going to be visiting you every weekend, maybe every other, thanks to my dear ol dad. Looks like he took a liking to you and when I plead and grovelled he said okay. It also helped that Ino, Sakura and Hinata pleaded with me. They're cuter, but I didn't admit that.”  
  
“You don't have to, you know I'll call. I don't want you -”  
  
Naruto shook his head and cut him off, “I do. I'm going to be with you through this. As your friend, I won't let you go through this alone. That's just not going to happen. You are stuck with me, G-man. Shitty nicknames and all.”  
  
This time, it was Gaara who was the one that hugged him.  
  
“And you, what about you? Are you doing okay? You look so tired.”  
  
Naruto pursed his lips, “You sayin' I look bad?”  
  
“Horrible.”  
  
Naruto rolled his eyes and leaned back against the table, crossing his arms and giving his friend a half-assed glare.  
  
Gaara stood next to him and nudged him with his elbow, “What's up?”  
  
“Life was a little stressful there for a while, and don't you dare say sorry, I'll cut you Subaku.”  
  
Gaara had his mouth opened to say something and it formed into a laugh.  
  
“I'm just still trying to figure things out.”  
  
“Like what? Things with Kiba?”  
  
“That, yes.”  
  
Gaara gave him a quizzical look and began ticking his fingers before making a fist. He was trying so hard, Naruto was proud.  
  
“What else needs to be worked out?”  
  
Naruto paused mid thought and realized what he had walked himself into. He grimaced.  
  
“Look, Naruto, don't you dare act like I'm the only person here and I'm the one that needs all the attention. You know, you know I hate that. I don't want my friends to deal with their own things and gloss themselves over because of me. I'm not a damsel in distress, I'm getting help. What is going on?”  
  
Naruto pursed his lips, wanting to keep silent, but knew Gaara was right.  
  
“I just, I don't know what in the hell is gong on with...between...uh, Sasuke and I. I hate even thinking about it it's so confusing. I guess that's why I didn't want to talk about it. I just need to figure it out myself, you know? It has just been weighing more on me than I wanted.”  
  
Gaara gave a little half smile and bumped his shoulder into Naruto's, “The answer will be there before you know it.”  
  
“One can only hope.”  
__________________________________________________________________________

Naruto felt like half the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders after seeing Gaara. He looked ready to start his road to recovery, and so far he seemed determined. Happy, even. Sure he was still doing some of his ticks, and during the rest of their conversation, Naruto could see him physically stop himself. He was trying, though, and that's what mattered.  
  
They were still planning on talking every day, like they had been. Naruto wanted to be there and simultaneously, didn't want to lose this friend. This person whom he barely known not too long ago, who now felt like he was a part of Naruto's heart. This batch of friends he now had with Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Gaara and of course Hinata; seemed to be what made Naruto whole.  
  
The group ended the night with a dinner together at some burger place. Naruto was the only one who barely ate his food. He chalked it up to an upset stomach. Hinata gave him the tiniest of looks which Naruto refused to make eye contact with. She always knew if Naruto was lying or not. He already knew she'd be questioning him later.  
Sakura, Hinata and Ino were having a girls night only for tonight, and once Saturday rolled around they planned on having another sleep over at Naruto's.  
  
“Fine!” Naruto called, as the girls made their way towards Sakura's car. “I didn't want to paint my nails and refresh my facial skin anyway!”  
  
The girls laughed, and they waved at Naruto who joking flipped the bird. He watched them drive off, watching as Hinata gave one last worried glance at him before she waved. She'd be texting him in no time.  
  
He turned towards Sasuke who had his hoodie on, hood up and hands in his pockets. His eyes were bloodshot, like the day he showed up at Naruto's. The day he just so happen to wait for Naruto to wake up and then leave without a word. He looked paler, the dark circles under his eyes were becoming prominent.  
  
“Sasuke...” Naruto's voice was gentle as he took the few steps towards him. He reached out, but Sasuke took a step back. It made a flare of sudden anxiety in Naruto's chest. He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a step back himself.  
  
“Okay, I get it.” Naruto bit. “You don't have to force yourself to be around me. Just tell me what in the hell is wrong and I'll leave you alone. Or if you just don't want me around, tell me. I'm just, I'm worried.”  
  
“Nothing is wrong,” Sasuke replied without even a moment of thought. His voice flat and soft and disconnected.  
  
“Lying motherfucker,” Naruto growled, and that made Sasuke look at him. “Don't lie to me. I already know something is wrong. You told me to wait, and I did my waiting. If this is because of me...because of...of us with...with whatever the fuck is going on with us, spill it. If something is wrong, let me fucking know so I can help you. But for the love of God just please tell me.”  
  
“It's not because of you.”  
  
“Then what? What has been going on that you have been so upset about?”  
  
“It... _does_ have something to do with us.”  
  
Naruto felt like someone grabbed a hold of his chest and squeezed. He hated the feeling of anxiety, that made it feel like he was falling and was never going to land.  
  
“There can't be an us, Naruto. Not like that.”  
  
It felt like someone punched his stomach as hard as possible. He kept upright though, that had to count for something. He felt this horribly wounded feeling. Like he just lost someone dear to him. Like a loved one. He just kept staring at Sasuke, but not really looking at him. His thoughts slammed together to make jumbled nothings.  
  
“I'm moving. Across the country. There can't be an us.”  
  
“You're moving? Oh... _oh_...” It hit him. It hit him so hard he felt like the air had been knocked out of him. He turned on his heel and just started walking. He didn't know where to or for how long but he just kept going. He needed to get away from this sudden pain that was over taking him. He didn't know why it hurt so much and it made him shake. He wasn't sure why he was crying so hard so suddenly. He knew he'd still keep in touch with Sauske, that they would still be friends. For now. They would probably not talk as much eventually. Soon they would rarely think about each other. Failed planned trips would happen more and more until they stopped trying. Sasuke would probably make a new group of friends and eventually stop talking to him all together. Eventually he would probably forget about him. That was the thought that made Naruto just give out. He just stopped, tears running down his face and hands on his knees gasping for air like he was about to die. He sat down in the middle of the sidewalk before his legs gave out, brought his knees up and bowed his head.  
  
The thought of losing Sasuke, he realized. It was the worst thing.  
  
Especially when he realized it was so hard, because he was falling for him.


	11. The Downfall, The Resistance

When Naruto heard Sasuke's footsteps, because they could only be Sasuke's, he got up and just started walking away. Something was hurt and broken and _so_ sad inside him. Like it physically pained him to walk. Curling up into a ball and just waiting for it to pass would surely be easier.  
  
Another part of him was furious. How _dare_ Sauske lead him on. Knowing he was going to be moving. Maybe he wasn't leading him on. Maybe he was confused. Maybe he liked Naruto and didn't want to let him go. Maybe he was trying to figure out his sexuality.  
  
Naruto tried to shake his head, he was more confused now that ever. He only knew he was sad and angry and so many different things. It was so overwhelming it felt crushing. It shouldn't feel crushing, he tried to reason. He had only just started to know Sasuke, he should feel indifferent.  
  
Yet when he felt Sasuke's hand wrap around his upper arm, he yanked it free and kept marching.  
  
He wasn't far from home and it finally registered he should walk that way.  
  
Sasuke tried reaching for him again and this time Naruto turned to him.  
  
He stopped in his tracks, his chest heaving, and tear tracks down his face.  
  
He opened his mouth and raised his hand with a finger pointing. He heaved in a great breath to say everything that was boiling under his skin.  
  
How dare Sasuke. Screw him. Fuck off. Why? What about how I feel? How could you? He wanted to punch him and he wanted to kiss him. He wanted to cry and scream.  
  
Sasuke looked a little shocked. Before Naruto even read into any emotion playing across his face, before he started actually _looking_ at him, he turned again. He just shut his mouth, dropped his hand, and walked off.  
  
This time, Sasuke didn't follow.  
________________________________________________________________________________

By the time Naruto arrived home it was dark out.  
  
Sasuke car was sitting out front, idling quietly. Naruto stopped on the sidewalk, clenched his fists and withheld a scream. Naruto continued his angered walk past the car, up the lawn and stood there as he dug out his key. He heard the car shift in gear as he was about to put the key in the lock, and listened as the sound of Sasuke's car faded down the street.  
  
He didn't know why he was so sad at the thought, though. He was mad at him, right?  
  
Naruto let out a frustrated sigh and dug his key in the door and pushed it open. He slipped his shoes off, practically broke the zipper trying to get his hoodie off, and practically stomped into the living room. Iruka was sitting on the couch, legs crossed and book in his hands.  
  
He looked up quickly, “No stomping.”  
  
Naruto stopped himself midway through the room, Iruka's stern voice always made him stop everything. He gave his dad an apologetic look and hung his head as he dragged his feet the rest of the way to the couch. He flopped down next to Iruka, which earned him another look, and then he fell over onto his dads shoulder. He didn't sigh or make a sound, but stayed with his head resting on Iruka.  
Iruka didn't say anything, he just shifted and put his arm around Naruto's shoulder and rubbed his arm.  
  
He silently marked his book and shut it and put it on the side table.  
  
“What's wrong?”  
  
“I want to be four again.”  
  
Iruka chuckled sadly, “What happened?”  
  
Naruto sat up, turning to look at his dad, “That's just it. I don't know! I don't know anymore. Everything is so confusing and messed up. I hate this dad, I hate this.”  
  
It was the second time that week, that Naruto ended up crying himself to sleep.  
____________________________________________________________________________  
  
The weekend ended with Naruto avoiding everyone.  
  
He used the excuse of needing to catch up on his work since he was returning to school on Monday. Part of Naruto wanted to stay home today and just get a Home Bound teacher for the rest of the year. He knew he couldn't hide forever though.  
  
So despite not having slept much that weekend, he still woke up before his alarm clock that morning. He texted Sakura after his shower asking for a ride, she of course was perfectly fine with that. He was outside for a few minutes, huddled in his hoodie when she pulled up. Ino wasn't with her, which Naruto found strange. He got in a she leaned over and gave him one of her bone crushing hugs.  
  
She pulled back and gave him a smile, “Glad you're back.”  
  
“Glad to be back,” He said. Though he wasn't sure that was entirely truthful.  
  
“Did you get enough time to catch up on your homework?” She pulled off, starting towards the school.  
  
“Oh yeah, I'm caught up,” He nodded. Truth be told, he had already been on top of things.  
  
Naruto never took his education for granted. His life could have gone such a different route. He felt like he owed it not only to himself, but to Iruka as well, to do well in school and make something of himself.  
So he took the weekend to think about things. To emotionally get himself back together as much as  
possible.  
  
“Where's Ino?”  
  
Sakura smiled lightly, “With her mom. She's dropping Ino off on the way to work. They've all been very close since she came home.”  
  
Naruto could only imagine. Just a blink away from almost losing your family. It's not a permanent loss either. They were still their, tangible and alive, but away so you couldn't see them. You were still aware of them but couldn't talk to them.  
  
“Did you talk to Gaara last night? I missed his call while I was showering, when I called back they said he used all his phone time.”  
  
Naruto chuckled at the face she made, and Sakura elbowed him in response. He rubbed the spot lightly.  
  
“I didn't take up most of his time last night. I got the last call, spent most of it on Hinata last night. He said Ino was chatty, too.”  
  
“What about Sasuke?”  
  
Naruto shrugged, “He apparently didn't pick up.”  
  
“We talked Saturday, but he was busy so it wasn't for long. He's been off.”  
  
Naruto couldn't help but roll his eyes, “Tell me about it.”  
  
“You've noticed it too?”  
  
“Yeah. The proverbial stick up his ass has finally reached his mouth apparently.”  
  
“Naruto,” Sakura chastised, “Something might be wrong.”  
  
“Well I can't help him fix or get through what is wrong when he won't talk to me, let alone tell me what is.”  
  
She tried to look at Naruto from the corner of her eye, a frown etching her lips. “Is something else going on?”  
  
“No, why?”  
  
She barely lifted her shoulders and she made the turn into the student lot, “I don't know. You've just got a lot of animosity towards him over him being upset or whatever.”  
  
Naruto felt a pang of guilt in his chest for not telling her, but it wasn't his place. He could talk to her about his feelings and his talk with Sasuke, but he couldn't bring himself to talk about it without getting angry or choked up, so he went back to pretending not to know.  
  
Naruto avoided Sasuke the rest of the day.  
  
He road the bus home for the first time in a long time. He didn't want to sit with Sakura and Ino while they theorized what was wrong with Sasuke and thought of how to cheer him up. He turned down the invitation to dinner with the three of them, mostly shocked that Sasuke agreed to go.  
  
Iruka was home when Naruto got there and Naruto did something he rarely did.  
  
“Dad? Can I borrow the car?”  
  
Naruto usually didn't use the car because Iruka typically had it and it was the only one they owned. Usually he hitched a ride with his friends so much it didn't even bother him. Yet today he didn't want to ask a friend for a ride to do what he needed to do.  
  
Iruka was sitting in his chair, legs kicked up and watching a movie.  
  
He nodded, “Sure. You want to say hi first or...?”  
  
Naruto winced, “I'm sorry. I just wanted to go to the store before I got settled. Did you want anything?”  
  
“Will you get us bubble tea from the market? I know it's a longer drive but I've been having a craving and I was waiting for you.”  
  
Naruto nodded, “Sure thing.”  
  
Naruto took his dads car keys and credit card and went right back out the door.  
  
He had been thinking about it all day. Each extra step as he took the long way to class, making sure to avoid Sasuke at all cost. The one time he caught sight of him in the hallways he turned right around and went the opposite way. Every time he had a conscious thought it was about Sasuke, which made him want to see for himself. That was when he decided to just go and look.  
  
He knew Sasuke wasn't lying. Most of him wanted it to be a lie. He also hoped it was true and Sauske didn't want to be with him because he was moving and not because he just came to his senses.  
So even though he had been to Sasuke's only once, the directions were pretty straight forward and he didn't live far away. He wasn't far from the market he needed to now go to anyway.  
So he drove in silence. He lingered at each stop sign. He went obnoxiously slow (or so says the honking car behind him) when he was coming up on Sasuke's street.  
  
Then he pulled up in front of the house, not going up the long and snaking driveway, and stared at the small and quaint sign posted on the front lawn.   
  
The bright red strip on the top saying “FOR SALE” in black and bold lettering.  
  
He stared at it for one more moment before he pulled off, now driving faster than he should be.  
_________________________________________________________________________________

He drank bubble tea with Iruka, did his homework over dinner that he couldn't eat, and was in bed by nine o'clock sharp. He didn't have much to say when Gaara called, texted back and forth with Hinata making plans, and in between it all he thought. He had been doing that a lot lately. He felt like he was thinking more than he would ever again. He thought about what he was feeling. He wondered why. He replayed all scenarios in his head; their first meeting, their first kiss, falling asleep together and Sasuke telling him that is was never meant to be. Why did Sasuke keep initiating most of those things? Why did he go along with them? Why, why, why with no answer in sight. His phone dinged as a sign he received a text message. He turned and eyed his clock. It was a little after eleven at night.  
  
He plucked his phone off the charger and looked at the bright screen.  
  
 _Sasuke: Are you going to avoid me until I leave?_  
  
Something akin to anger flared inside Naruto, and he held back from throwing his phone across the room.  
  
**I'm sorry, did you want to lead me on until you the second you actually left?**  
  
Naruto knew he shouldn't have sent that, he knew he should have gone a different path and said something else, but he didn't care. He had been thinking about this for days. He was torn between anger and sadness. Right now, anger was winning. He tossed the phone back on his nightstand. Now awake with irritation.  
  
Naruto didn't know if he should be relieved or worried when the minutes passed in silence. He hated how he kept looking at the nightstand in hope he got a message.  
  
When it finally sounded, Naruto rolled his eyes at himself when he sprung up to grab at his phone.  
  
 _Will you come outside?  
_  
Naruto rolled out of bed, grabbed a hoodie without zipping it and slipped into some shoes. He quietly went out his room and silently went down the steps. He didn't bother turning on the front light when he walked out the door. The cold air hit his bare chest and stomach instantly and caused bumps to flash across his skin with a chill.  
  
He nearly walked right into Sasuke who was standing there waiting for him.  
  
His car was off and parked, like he intended to be there for more than just a minute. It made Naruto's heart hammer between that realization, being toe to toe with him, and looking him straight in the eyes for the first time since Sasuke told him they couldn't be anything.  
  
There was silence for a moment as they looked into each others eyes, like searching for lost words hidden away. Naruto clenched his jaw and crossed his arms over his chest. Sasuke was the one who broke the eye contact and looked away first.  
  
That pissed Naruto off even more. “Why the hell are you here?”  
  
“I wanted to talk to you-”  
  
“-Oh, _now_ you can.”  
  
“- _Obviously_ that was a mistake,” Sasuke bit, turning back to him with his eye blazing with irritation.  
  
“You know what? Fuck you, alright,” Naruto started. “I kept asking and asking and asking. Then I fucking kept waiting. On _your_ time. While you led _me_ on. I thought maybe you felt guilty about Gaara. Then I thought maybe it was me or you or us. Like you realized you weren't gay and that I was a test. That maybe you were still trying to figure it out. But you _knew_ you were leaving. And-”  
  
“-And _what_?” Sasuke nearly growled. “You've just figured me all out, haven't you?”  
  
“Then why the hell didn't you tell me when you found out?” Naruto ground out, trying so hard not to yell.  
  
He didn't want to wake his dad or his neighbors. He didn't want to lose his cool. He didn't want this to be happening at all for that matter.  
Yet it seemed he pushed Sasuke past his breaking point. His jaw was tight his lips were pressed together and he was glaring for all his worth.  
  
“It wasn't that easy, Naruto...”  
  
“And _this_? This fucking shit is easy right here?” Naruto gestured between the two of them.

“The first person I have ever even remotely invested myself in, the first asshole I open up to, and I'm getting ripped away from that,” Sasuke growled, looking away and his pinched with pain. “I didn't want to tell you because I _didn't want to face it_ ,” Sauske whispered the last part harshly. “Because part of me was...afraid that you wouldn't care. Then there was the possibility of all of this. All of this fucked up shit because we care about each other.”  
  
All the anger and confusion and rage and sadness. The one little domino that wrecked their neat little trail.  
  
“I wanted to just back away and not do this but couldn't. I wanted to so badly so I could spare us of this and I couldn't. I was selfish. I didn't want to lo...let you go. So there you have it.”  
  
Naruto was slightly taken aback and he opened his mouth to say something, anything.  
  
He figured he'd ask the questions that were going to hurt the most, his shoulders tensing at the thought alone, but his tone was quieter. He kept avoiding eye contact now.  
  
“When do you leave?”  
  
Sasuke sighed, “A month.”  
  
“Where?”  
  
Naruto heard him shuffle his feet, “Across the country.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“My father's work.”  
  
There Naruto stood, feeling awkwardly comfortable yet uncomfortable. He was relieved and stressed. He was still teetering on the edge but didn't know where to fall. Silence fel on them heavily and thickly. Naruto just didn't know what to say or do.  
  
The blond looked up when he saw Sasuke take a step down out of the corner of his eye. He turned and faced Naruto, his face blank. He wouldn't lock eyes.  
  
“What we're doing, it's making this easier.”  
  
“Talking?” Naruto said hopefully, though his heart thudded with knowing.  
  
“Breaking apart from each other. Acknowledging it. I thought...I wanted us to at least have a proper goodbye.”  
  
Naruto felt a wave of anger hit at him again. An unnecessary and intense rage.  
  
He didn't even respond. He turned on his heel without so much as another word, walked in and turned and locked the door.  
  
So that way, just as quickly as he and Sasuke started, it was done.  
_______________________________________________________________________________  
  
Never while growing up did anyone ever explain to Naruto breaking up without being together. No one ever handed him a guide book to feelings. Not a soul said one day you will feel heartbreak and this is how you should handle that situation. Someone didn't lay down the difference between love and affection. These were things Naruto had to figure out on his own with only experiencing them to guide him.  
  
So he marched up the stairs and refused to cry. He wasn't entirely sure why, but it just seemed like he shouldn't let someone hold the power over his heart to cause him such turmoil.  
  
There was never a proper way about him and Sasuke, so he didn't see why it should end with one soul thing of goodbye. He felt like it would be easier without saying it. Clinging to denial like a child. He also began to realize that anger made it easier. His thoughts would slip to thinking about Sasuke and his heart would begin to crack. He'd tightly grip the rage of being led on with false pretenses and somehow, it all held together.  
People always come and go, he'd try to reason, he'd needed to get used to it now.  
  
He sat on the edge of his bed, his face planted in the palm of his hands and his teeth clenching. He suddenly snatched up his phone and opened his phone book and went straight to Sasuke.  
  
He'd just delete his number, delete any pictures and with any luck just delete the memories altogether. He hesitated with his finger over the red and glaring delete button. He breathed through his nose and clicked it.  
  
_Are you sure you want to delete contact?_  
  
_Yes or No_  
  
He sighed heavily and pulled away, shaking his head and flicking his wrist to toss the phone across the floor. He rolled over on to his side and faced the window.  
  
So all he could do until the sun rose to officially start the day, was grasp on to the hatred, that lessened the pain.  
___________

Naruto didn't sleep that night, yet he approached the day like any other.  
  
He caught a ride with Sakura and Ino to school, and they briefly spoke about Sasuke.  
  
“It's so sad,” Ino sighed. Sakura nodded along.  
  
“I'm sure we'll all remain friends and stuff. No worries.”  
  
They smiled at him and started talking about Gaara and Hinata and school and hanging out. They complained about homework and the smell of school buses.  
They pulled into a spot next to Sasuke's, who was standing and waiting outside of his parked car. He looked as tired as Naruto felt. They three of them emptied out of Sakura's car and the girl's greeted him excitedly as any other day. He did as he did before and nodded with minimal words and they just smiled at him. It was just how Sasuke was. This time he was staring at Naruto and no amount of ignoring it would make it go away. So Naruto acknowledged him with a quick smile and short eye contact. He walked around the car to the rest of them.  
  
He clapped Sasuke on the shoulder with the side of his fist, “Move it, Uchiha. No need to leave a shitty taste in the teachers mouths by being late.”  
  
He began walking backwards and gave him a lopsided grin. He spun on his heel and Ino caught on to his elbow and they walked like that to class, chatting as they were linked arm and arm. Sasuke and Sakura followed close behind, but each attempt Sakura was making at conversation was failing. She let it go, no doubt chalking it up to Sasuke not being a morning person.  
  
They stood on the second floor together, five minutes before first bell. Naruto hugged both Sakura and Ino and even looked at Sasuke as they talked about sitting together at lunch.  
  
Naruto walked passed Sasuke and gave him a passing pat on his upper back as he walked past him, “See you at lunch.”  
  
That's how Naruto approached the day. To go about it like nothing was wrong. That nothing was bothering him. That everything was fine. He and Sasuke were just normal friends that happened to occasionally talk. So that's how he played it off. At lunch he'd occasionally address his presence in the conversation and make eye contact and smile. At the end of the day when they went out to go shopping after school, he even walked beside him while he talked to Sakura about the ugly purse she just bought. He even waved goodbye at the end of the excursion and said goodnight.  
  
He got home in time to eat dinner with his dad. He languished over homework for a few more hours and then finally went to bed.  
  
He curled up in his covers, looked up briefly to his phone as it chimed for a text message. He resisted the urge, rolled over, and finally succumbed to complete and utter exhaustion.


	12. The Resistance, The Peace

Naruto was sitting in Hinata's living room, donning his pajamas at only five in the evening.  
  
They were both hunched over the coffee table next to each other with books and papers spread out before them for homework. They were snacking on some chips and soda.  
She began spinning her pen in between her fingers, propping her face up on her hand.  
  
“N-Naruto?”  
  
He glanced up from his work, his hair more frazzled than usual from him constantly running a hand through it. It was a habit he had when he was trying to figure something out. Usually math.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“You ha-have to t-talk to me...”  
  
“That's what-”  
  
She held up her hand and stopped him, “No sar-sacasm.”  
  
He raised a quizzical brow at her and frowned, “Okay, then about-”  
  
She glared, and he cut himself off again. His shoulders slouched in defeat.  
  
“I know, Hinata. I know,” He sighed.  
  
He tossed his pencil on the table and leaned back against the couch. He let out a long breath and aimed it towards his bangs, causing them to flutter. She got up and made her way to lay on the couch behind him, bringing her hand up to play with his hair. Naruto usually hated it when people fussed about or messed up his hair. Yet there were a slim few in this world who knew how to do it to make him calm down and turn to mush. He closed his eyes and hummed in content. He crossed his arms over his chest and eventually the tension in his shoulders began to leave him.  
  
“A lot Hina...just so much has been going on. Just the weight of it has been piling on. Sometimes I wish I could take back that “If you really knew me” thing.”  
  
“I know,” She said quietly.  
  
“I get scared to talk about it,” He said quietly. He opened his eyes and turned to look at her. She had a sad understanding look in her eyes. She raked her fingers slowly through his hair again. He situated himself so he could look at her, his shoulder pressed awkwardly against the couch, making his arm go numb. She moved so she was laying on her side. His head half on her stomach and on the couch.  
  
“Hinata...Kiba and I will never be friends again,” Naruto said with hushed sadness.  
  
Her eyes searched his, but her frown mimicked his own, “I-I know. I've...I've kn-known. I could f-feel it.”  
  
“I tried,” He said desperately. “I wanted it so bad. I wanted to try and forgive him and move on. I understood and everything. But I just can't...I can't forget it. Sometimes when I'm trying to go to bed, I picture him when we were outside of the school that first day. His anger and disgust just all over his face. I try to block it out, but I can't.”  
Hinata nodded sympathetically.  
  
“We just will never be the same. We've tried talking but it just isn't right. Nothing comes out how it should or we run out of words. We never used to run out of words. It feels like there is a wall now that won't come down. It hurts. I was supposed to be able to tell him anything. He was supposed to be my best friend. I think what hurt most was I realized he really wasn't. Like, how do you move on from that? A constant in your life for all these years just no longer constant. I realized as much as I said I forgive him, that I just honestly can't. Deep down, I can't.”  
  
Naruto felt Hinata brush her fingers across his cheek and he realized he was crying again. He shook his head.  
  
“I've never cried this much in my life,” He laughed.  
  
She gave him a small smile, but didn't say anything. She was waiting for him to continue. She knew he wasn't done.  
  
“It just...it instilled in me this fear, Hinata. A fear I never had before. It made me realize how easy it is to lose someone but not totally forget them. Like, he's still there, still right next door,” He said, gesticulating with his hands like he always did. “He so close but he's never been farther. I know things like this happen every day but it's never happened before. It's never happened to me. What if I lose others? Not what if, but when? What if I say something else that chases friends off? I feel like I can't be myself anymore.”  
  
She was still wiping at his cheeks, tears still leaking from his eyes despite his desperate want for them to stop.  
  
“I-I know, Naruto. I know,” She cupped his face and ran her thumb up and down his cheek. “There will be constants and their will be loss. And facing loss of a-any kind for the first time will always be the...the h-hardest and the thing that sticks with you the longest. You have to learn to find the constants and stay with them, not fall away just from being scared. If you aren't yourself, you're robbing the world of that joy. I-If you hold back now, you will miss so much. This isn't you, Naruto. You know that. It is hard, because that is just how life is. You've...You've n-never bowed to fear and this isn't a curtain call. It is fine to grieve your loss. A loss is a l-loss no matter what and as a human you are given the right to your o-own feelings and to go through them. But do not let them hinder you.”  
  
He freed his arm and brought his hand up to hold hers, nearly to the point of crushing it. He couldn't help it. When his mind was wild, Hinata's voice was his calm. Iruka always said she was the best thing that ever happened to Naruto, and it couldn't have been a truer statement than right now. There were friendships and there were _friendships_. Here Naruto was clutching onto the one thing that would be one of the few constants in his life. The thing he loved most, was how her stuttering calmed down when she was trying to calm the world around Naruto. It showed how much she concentrated and cared and tried for him. She knew if she wasn't calm, he wasn't calm.  
  
She took her hand back and went back to playing with his hair, she pursed her lips, “I know something is going on with you and Sasuke.”  
  
“Was,” He said quietly, breaking their eye contact.  
“Because he's moving?”  
  
Naruto nodded, “He said we couldn't be anything because he is moving across the country.”  
  
They were silent for a moment, and Naruto could feel Hinata's eyes on him, burning a hole in the side of his face as he looked away.  
  
“I could see it on your face,” She said. “That you were having feelings for him.”  
  
Naruto looked at her, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion, “Really?”  
  
She nodded with a little smile, “I could see it in your eyes, Naruto. You lit up when he was around. When you talked about him. If you were quiet and lost in thought, I could always tell when you were thinking about him.”  
  
Naruto could feel himself blush and pursed his lips.  
  
“I could tell you've been hurt more than mad lately. Everyone else thought you've just been grumpy. I could tell it was more hurt than anything.”  
  
He nodded and she pulled her hand back and rested it on the couch, quietly waiting for him to talk. She knew it was one of those instances that he would either open up or shut down and she didn't know which. Sometimes Naruto had to sort things out for himself before he let others in on it.  
  
“He knew,” Naruto whispered. “I think I know when he found out, but he just hid it from me. He...he led me on. I don't know if he meant to or not. I don't know if he did it because he didn't want to let me go or because he just wanted to have fun. I don't understand why he couldn't just be outright about it instead of letting me think something was going to happen. When he explained it, I guess I understood. He didn't mean to, but he led me on anyway. It was selfish. It fucking hurt. The thing is Hinata, I can't imagine losing him as a friend. I can't.”  
  
She nodded at him and he was looking at her with that look. The one he always gave her without a word, pleading for advice from his best friend, because sometimes Naruto couldn't suck it up and ask.  
  
“You also can't go on pretending like there a-aren't feelings there. That's rude to both of you.”  
  
Naruto smacked his forehead, “I admit it was a dick move, I do.”  
  
“What?”  
  
Naruto grimaced. “I just...when I saw him today, I just acted like none of it ever happened. I smiled at him, I talked to him, just pretty much rubbed it in his face.”  
  
Hinata swatted at him, “Y-you know b-b-better. You do. He didn't do all this on purpose to hurt you Naruto, don't go around hurting him. That's below you.”  
  
“I just thought-”  
  
“No, you over thought. T-that's your issue.”  
  
He fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. He didn't need to say anything, she knew what she needed to look at. She pressed the power button and tapped the icon for text messages and found Sasuke's name, clicked it open and read.  
  
_Sasuke: Okay, I get it._  
  
Hinata frowned. Twenty minutes later, there was another text.  
  
_Sasuke: Nothing ever happened._  
  
Hinata handed the phone back over, frowning. “What were you thinking?”  
  
He made a disgusted sound, “I was hurt, and angry, and I didn't want to lose him.”  
  
“D-did you guys talk at all? Talk this out?”  
  
“It was more of a lot of sad attempts, anger and maybe a little yelling.”  
  
She rolled her eyes, “N-Naruto...y-you j-j-just...expressed how hurt you are over losing your best friend. I understand it was different with Sasuke, but you're going about this wrong.”  
  
He hung his head, he knew she was right. “I know.”  
  
“You need to talk to him. If you don't, all this unresolved tension and anger and feelings – they'll still be there and you will lose him. N-now grow up and suck it up and talk to him.”  
  
Naruto looked up and smiled at Hinata, even as she was giving him the most scalding look she could muster. Because sometimes when Naruto knew he was being an absolute idiot, it was always nice when someone kicked him in his ass to change it.   
  
That's what friends were for.  
___________________________________________________________________________

He ate dinner with Hinata's family - which as always - was a quite a delicious affair. They finished their homework and Naruto even managed to slide in some extra credit. They hung out some more and talked more. About Sasuke and Kiba and school, about movies and things on the internet they had seen. Eventually, they called it a night.  
  
She walked him to the door and they stood on Hinata's stoop for a moment. The neighborhood was quite already at nine. The moon was in full and it lit up the street. He hugged his jacket to him a little tighter at the cold night air. He leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the temple and she kissed his cheek. He walked down the walkway and she went back inside.  
  
He pulled out his cell phone and texted Sasuke, while his courage was still raw and strong.  
  
**Can you meet me outside in fifteen minutes?**  
  
He didn't expect a reply but only hoped for one. Yet nearly instantly, his phone dinged.  
  
_Sauske: Ok_  
  
Naruto borrowed his dad's car, even though Iruka was already asleep. It happened from time to time if he wanted to make a junk food run mainly because Iruka hated him walking at night. Even if it was just five minutes. So he knew there would be no lectures or trouble from it.  
  
He drove to Sasuke's and parked on the street instead of up the driveway knowing it would be an easier getaway if he needed it. His heart was pounding and his anxiety was so intense he was shaking. He heard the door open and saw Sasuke come out under the dim house light, and with his face towards the ground he made his way to Naruto. They met halfway, stopping just shy of each other. It was dark, with only little driveway lights to help them.  
  
Sasuke looked wary and tense. His face was passive, his stare was a little hard and Naruto knew he was hurt. Naruto felt his guts twist. He felt so guilty he couldn't keep the eye contact and he looked toward the ground.  
He wasn't sure how to start the conversation so he simply dove in head first.  
  
“I didn't know what to do or say. I didn't. Part of me didn't even want to see you. The other part of me had been waiting to. When I did, it just hit me all over again. That you're leaving. That I was arguing to end one of the best friendships I've ever had. That just because I can't have that intimate part, I was practically throwing everything else away. So I just...I just panicked? I guess you'd say that. I knew it was wrong the whole time. It felt mean but it felt like...a sick hope? That maybe if I can push everything aside and we can still be friends. That if I just smile and laugh and go with the motions it will be okay.”  
  
Naruto fell silent. He still had more to say but he wasn't sure if he could get it out. Yet he didn't feel like any of it would justify his emotions. He didn't think he could explain any of this with any amount of words. It was so odd two people acknowledging they liked each other but saying there couldn't be anything other that friendship. Like placing yourself in limbo.  
  
“I...I should have finished our conversation. I should have sat down and talked to you more and we should have listened to each other. But...”  
  
He sighed and he finally looked up. Sasuke was looking at him, his expression softened to a gentle understanding and a shared sense of loss and hurt. It made him lose his train of thought. He didn't know what to say next.  
“But you were hurt. And confused. And angry,” Sasuke finished for him. His voice was so soft, it was hard to hear him.  
  
Yet he was still looking at Naruto with those intense eyes and understanding. Naruto swallowed and looked away with a nod.  
  
“I just...I _know_ I don't want to lose you as a friend. When all this is said and done, I want us to be friends. You are one of the best friends I've ever had. You get me and we just click. Like we were meant to be in each others lives. I don't want you to move and then that's it forever. Can we?”  
  
  
He looked back again and Sasuke's lips were pressed together like he was trying so hard not to say something. Naruto raised a questioning brow at him.  
  
“Can we?” Sasuke echoed, asking the question to Naruto.  
  
“I want us to try.”  
  
Sasuke gave one small nod in response, “Agreed.”  
  
Naruto gave one nod back, “Good.”  
  
An awkward air graced their presence suddenly and it made Naruto's stomach drop slightly. He was so worried this would what would always happen. Awkward unfinished everything.  
  
“Okay!” Naruto nodded again. “I'm glad we could talk a little more. I'll call it a night.”  
  
He turned on his heel, desperate to get out of the situation as fast as humanly possible. He knew they should talk about it again, but maybe more after they sorted through more of their thoughts? He wasn't sure, but any excuse to go was good enough for him. He was so flushed from pure embarrassment he was surprised he wasn't glowing.  
  
Sasuke grabbed for his arm to stop him, and even when Naruto turned back around confused as all hell, he didn't let go of him.  
  
“I just want to make sure you understand.”  
  
Naruto bunched his eyebrows together and shook his head, giving the universal look for “what the fuck are you talking about”.  
  
“Naruto, I _need_ you to understand. I didn't lead you on out of hate or spite or something,” Sasuke was looking at Naruto with pleading eyes. It made his heart flutter. “I want to make sure that you know the single last thing I ever wanted was to hurt you. That this has been the hardest thing I've had to do. That if I could, I would be with you. But being that far apart isn't fair to either of us. I need-”  
  
Naruto shut his eyes and took a deep breath, “Sasuke, please stop.”  
  
He wished his voice had more strength behind it, but all he could muster was a pathetic whisper. Sasuke stopped mid sentence, his lips still parted ready to form the next words. Naruto could bet his life that Sasuke was not the type tolie out his feelings or confessions often, but Naruto mentally couldn't take it.  
  
“Sasuke, the hardest part of all of this is that I finally understand,” Naruto said, feeling his throat getting caught. He grit his teeth and rolled his eyes at himself.  
  
Sasuke's grip tightened and Naruto could tell Sasuke was thinking hard about something but wasn't sure what.  
  
“You think you're going to sleep any time soon?”  
  
Naruto turned his head and used his free hand to wipe at his eyes, “Not likely.”  
  
“Me either.”  
  
It didn't take long for the proverbial light bulb to go on. They were in the very weird and awkward situation that they didn't want to leave each other, yet at the same time, didn't know what to do around each other. Yet of course, the want to be near each other won.  
  
“Movies?”  
  
Sasuke's eyes lit up and Naruto nearly laughed. Even though he had opened up to Naruto and laid so many feelings and emotions on the table, he of all things couldn't say that he wanted to hang out. That he didn't want it to end on a bad note. That he wanted to be around Naruto.  
  
“Okay, my place. Grab your crap and move your ass. Bring your car.”  
  
Sasuke scoffed, “Yes, your highness.”  
  
Naruto smiled, “That would be your _Majesty_. And next time I expect a bow.”  
  
Sasuke snorted and laughed, even rolled his eyes. It made Naruto smile so hard it hurt his cheeks. Sasuke loosened his grip and unconsciously let his hand slide down Naruto's arm and linger at his hand. Naruto habitually went to tangle their fingers together before reality slapped him. Their laughter died as their hands lingered together. They pulled back at the same time, though it was slow and practically painful.  
  
“Okay!” Naruto clapped his hands together. “Move your ass.”  
  
He turned again, this time without Sasuke stopping him.  
____________________________________________________________________________

Naruto didn't wait outside for Sasuke once he was home. He walked in and left the door opened knowing Sasuke would get the hint. Naruto went up the stairs and shut Iruka's door so as to not wake him with the sound of the television.  
  
Naruto was coming down the stairs by the time Sasuke was walking in the door, his backpack and car keys in hand.  
  
“I pick the movie.” He whispered, still conscious of Iruka.  
  
Sasuke only rolled his eyes as Naruto walked passed him, “Of course you do.”  
  
Naruto didn't even really pay attention to what movie he put in. At least Sasuke didn't seem entirely let down when Captian America showed up for the menu. Sasuke left his shoes by the door and hung up his hoodie when he came in. He was in black sleep pants and a black tank that showed off his arms. Naruto found it hard not to stare.  
  
They sat on the couch, enough space in between them that they weren't touching, but close enough to feel the others body heat.  
  
It wasn't long before Naruto was asleep. Arms folded across his chest still tucked away in his hoodie, his head drooping towards Sasuke. Naruto's hair was just barely tickling Sasuke's cheek.  
  
Sasuke slightly turned, lifted his hand and pushed Naruto's hair back as softly as could, secretly studying his face. The way his eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks. The way his lips parted as he gently snored. The tone of his skin. The tinge of pink on his cheeks. Sasuke leaned forward and barely touched his lips to the top of Naruto's head. He stood up as slowly as possible and grabbed the blanket that laid on the top of the couch. He slung it over his shoulder and leaned down. Sasuke grabbed the side of Naruto's face and pushed on his shoulder and slowly but surely gently guided him down. He stuffed a pillow under his head and eventually Naruto brought his own legs up and shuffled in his sleep for comfort. Sasuke draped the blanket over Naruto and leaned in to make sure he covered him entirely. Naruto of course was still snoring; ever the man to be able to sleep through anything.  
  
He barely let his fingers cast over Naruto's hair as he whispered, “Goodnight Naruto.”  
  
He went upstairs to the blond's room, grabbed a blanket off his bed and a pillow. He turned on his heal and noticed a new addition to the pictures he kept clustered on his nightstand. It was the group of them all, just before everything went to shit. It was at the tiny little pond hidden near Gaara's house. Ino had taken the picture. Gaara was leaning against the tree, comfortable enough that he had leaned against Sakura. Sakura had her other arm around Hinata, and the two of them were looking over and smiling at Gaara, who was laughing. If Sasuke remembered correctly, Naruto called him a “red headed little shit head” after Gaara had said something snarky. Then there was Sasuke and Naruto. Even though Hinata had hooked her arm through Sasuke's, and he was even holding up his arm with her like he was enjoying himself, all attention was on Naruto.  
  
They had their arms around each others shoulders. Naruto was bent forward laughing, his free hand just barely touching Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke was looking at him with nothing but unabashed adoration across his face. He had one of those half smiles and his eyes were gentle, all focus on Naruto. He looked like he was...  
  
Sasuke turned away from the picture and shut the light off as he left the room. He trotted down the stairs and grabbed the remote and lowered the volume. Naruto had trouble sleeping without some sort of sound and/or light. Sasuke laid down next to the couch, pulled the covers up under his chin and rested his head on the pillow. Naruto continued to snore, the deeper into sleep he went the louder they were becoming.  
  
“I need you to know I love you,” Sasuke whispered, and soon, he fell asleep to the calming sound of Naruto.


	13. The Peace, The Break

Naruto woke with a start, not sure what jolted him awake. He looked down at the blanket covering him and tried to jog his memory through his grogginess. He turned his head at the memory of talking to Sasuke and found him still asleep on the floor. He was then faced the sobering reminder that Sasuke was moving far away. There were going to be no more kissing or hand holding, no more shared intimate moments, no more ideas of starting a relationship. Naruto rubbed his hand over his eyes, trying to erase the thought and the grogginess.  
  
Sasuke was sound asleep and Naruto looked towards the kitchen where he saw light. Iruka must have made a noise that woke Naruto up. Naruto squinted at the clock above the television and read five in the morning. Iruka had to be making his coffee before he set off out the door. Naruto was happy, despite losing an extra hour of sleep, seeing as he didn’t set an alarm and would have missed school.  
He sat up and rubbed at his eyes and looked towards the hallway to the kitchen when he heard Iruka’s soft footfalls. He was walking fast, rushed as usual, with his messenger bag slung over his shoulder and a thermos full of coffee.  
  
He halted when he saw Naruto and mouthed to him, “ _Did I wake you_?”  
  
Naruto shook his head and held up his hand and signed “ _I love you_.”  
  
Iruka lifted his hand and returned the gesture before heading out the door. At the sound of the door clicking shut, Sasuke’s eyes snapped open and he sat upright. Naruto leaned back and blinked a few extra times in shock. Sasuke   
turned a blood shot, tired stare at Naruto in silent question.  
  
“We have thirty minutes before we need to get ready. Or we can get ready early and we can go get breakfast.”  
  
Sasuke looked away for a moment, blinking slowly before standing up and walking over to grab his bag. He turned and headed up the stairs and shut the door to the bathroom. Naruto chuckled, rolling his eyes at the thought of Sasuke ever becoming a morning person.  
  
Naruto rolled off the couch and jogged up the stairs and heard the shower cut on. He went to his bedroom, the door still opened, and grabbed clothes for school before going downstairs to the other bathroom and taking a quick shower and brushing his teeth.  
  
By the time he was changed and walked out to the living room, Sasuke was sitting on the couch, holding a cup of coffee with a dead look on his face.  
  
“You must have been a very difficult child, with your finesse of waking up so wonderfully cheery,” Naruto said dryly.  
  
Sasuke slanted a look at Naruto, his eyes shrinking in a glare as he took another gulp of his coffee. Naruto outright laughed at him. Naruto waved Sasuke to come along, so he downed his cup and got up to put it in the dishwasher. They grabbed their bags and headed out the door. Sasuke pressed the button to remote start the car while Naruto wrestled with locking the front door.  
They flopped in the car and shivered, but Sasuke reached into the backseat and grabbed two hoodies. He slipped one on himself and flung the other at Naruto. The blond barely had it zipped up before Sasuke shoved the car in drive and slammed on the gas.  
  
Naruto had about a hundred different things to say to Sasuke, but when he turned to say them to him, the look on his face made him draw up short. Sasuke looked downright murderous. His hands had a white knuckle grip on the   
steering wheel, his jaw was clenched and he had a harsh scowl on his face. Naruto swallowed his jokes and stowed his laughter.  
  
They stayed quiet in the car until they reached the diner. Naruto asked for a booth in the back knowing that Sasuke didn’t want to deal with anything right now.  
When they were seated with their menus, Naruto tried to start a conversation again.  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
Sasuke flicked his eyes to Naruto, his face still facing out the window, “I don’t want to talk about it yet.”  
  
Naruto flicked his eyes down at the table, his fingers twisting his cup around and around.  
  
He nodded, “That’s fair. Do you want me to stay quiet or can I talk to you?”  
  
“I’m not much for conversation at the moment.”  
  
Naruto shrugged, “I never said you had to participate. You can just listen. Or ignore me. You’re good at that last one. Nearly a pro.”  
  
Sasuke gave one tiny nod and Naruto dove into talking of the essay he had to write still and his woes about how he didn’t want to write it. He then turned the conversation to Gaara as the topic. How he was excited to go visit him, how much progress he was making. He left it unsaid, but Sasuke felt the pang in his chest when he realized he wouldn’t be driving with the group to visit Gaara after he moved. His mood soured more. He began to slowly tune out Naruto’s mindless chatter without meaning to. Sauske sank deep in his thoughts of the upcoming move. How he finally found a place he could call home. How he was being forced to leave it. He finally had friends that genuinely cared for him. He didn’t want to be alone all over again. His mood darkened more. He couldn’t imagine not meeting everyone in the student parking lot, or not begrudgingly getting hugs from the girls, or randomly running into Naruto in the halls. He couldn’t imagine quiet and strong Hinata not sitting next to him laughing at a joke. He had his life flipped on its head and everything he knew was changed by a group of friends he never thought he’d have.  
Sasuke barely remember ordering food and he couldn’t even recall what he had ordered.  
  
When the waitress came to set their food down Sasuke slid out of the booth, “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”  
  
He could feel Naruto’s stare on his back as he made his way to the bathroom. He turned in and stopped in front the sink, gripping it so hard his fingers ached. He couldn’t look up, he refused to look up, he had to look.  
The pain and sadness where all there, right in the forefront and written across his face and etched into his eyes. The boy with the porcelain mask baring emotions. He shut his eyes, took a deep shuddering breath, and tried to force it all down. He wouldn’t let this terrible bleak outlook ruin his last few weeks here. He was going to get through this. He wouldn’t be alone. He wasn’t alone. He felt so alone.  
  
A warm hand rested on top of his and his head snapped up and his hands went back to his sides. He had made Naruto nearly jump out of his skin.  
  
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to check on you,” Naruto said, raising his hands in front of him in surrender. “I don’t want to make you talk about it. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”  
  
Sasuke wanted to break. He wanted to crumble into nothingness. He wanted to break their new deal and wrap his arms around Naruto and press his mouth to his. He wanted to break and say how he felt – about Naruto, about the move, about everything. He wanted to break the mirror with his fist. He wanted to break the FOR SALE sign in front of his house. He wanted to break down and cry.  
  
All Sasuke could manage was to look at the floor, ball his hands into fists, and mutter an incoherent response.  
  
Sasuke flicked his eyes up and waited while Naruto searched his face with silent patience. Naruto slowly had a frown form on his lips, like he could read Sasuke’s bleak thoughts, but he didn’t comment.  
  
Naruto whispered, “Come on, let’s go eat.” When he wanted to say, ‘ _Can I just hold you and try to make this go away_?’  
  
They ate in silence. No quick glances or hushed words. No time in their own little world together. Naruto’s mood seemed to latch onto Sasuke’s and leech the melancholy from it. Sasuke popped cash on the table without calling the waitress for the check but Naruto waived her down so Sauske could pass her a hundred dollar bill. Naruto smiled politely at her while the woman gushed when Sasuke told her to keep all the change. They loaded back into the car and made it to the parking lot without the girls in sight. They both turned to look out opposite windows, and both silently got out of the car when the girls arrived, and both put a smile on their faces even though inside they felt like they were breaking.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________________

The week was a long and painful process to get through. Sasuke’s mood was still dark, yet he still showed up and still made an effort to be physically present. Naruto’s mood was down because of Sasuke. He knew his mood was bad because he was now mentally approaching and actively dealing with moving. He knew it was going to hurt Sasuke. He knew it would be mentally brutal on him. It made Naruto fidgety with anxiety because he didn’t know how else to be there for him.  
  
He was respecting Sasuke by letting him work through it himself, but he was slowly losing patience.  
  
They were spending the night at Naruto’s, planning to make the drive tomorrow to go see Gaara. Sakura, Ino and Hinata chatted away about what they wanted to talk to him about, how they were excited to see him and hug him.  
Sasuke was sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the couch and Naruto curled up behind him on the cushion.  
  
Naruto flicked his eyes to Hinata, who was watching Sasuke with a look of worry plainly written on her face. Her gray eyes met Naruto’s and he just barely tilted his head to the door. Hinata gave the tiniest of head movements before turning her attention back to the girls.  
  
“H-Hey, I have p-pict-pictures to show him. I forgot th-them.”  
  
Ino smiled, “Oh, let’s go get them! I know he’ll get a kick out of Naruto freezing his ass off for a joke. That’s what…half the pictures?””  
  
Sakura laughed, “I took pictures of the pond for him, so he can look at it when he needs it.”  
  
Hinata stood, followed by Sakura and Ino.  
  
“We’ll be right back.”  
  
“You guys can come,” Sakura added.  
  
Hinata shook her head, “Neji is st-still not…not happy.”  
  
Naruto felt a little guilty with making them walk by themselves, and it seemed Ino read the look like it was written in front of her.  
  
“We will take Sakura’s car. No worries, okay?”  
  
Naruto gave them a small smile, “Alright. Be safe.”  
  
He was already moving off the couch before the door was even shut behind them. He kneeled down to face Sasuke, whose face was still pointed at the television. His eyes were unfocused and his face was blank, making Naruto’s lips pull into a frown.  
  
He reached up, cupping his hand against Sasuke’s cheek, getting the desired effect. His attention.  
  
“Please come back…” Naruto whispered.  
  
“Why? It is just going to hurt all of us.”  
  
Naruto inched his knees closer until the were pressed against Sasuke’s crossed legs and he refused to draw back his hand.  
  
“Good.”  
  
Sasuke’s brow just barely furrowed in confusion and Naruto plowed on.  
  
“If it hurts, that means we mean something. If we mean something, that means you’re going to try. You’re going to try to talk to us, to visit us, to remain friends with us. Let it hurt, Sasuke. Don’t run. Don’t ruin the last few weeks we have and waste your time trying to get rid of us. I told you, I won’t let you be alone. Just because you’re across the country doesn’t mean that goes null and void.”  
  
Sasuke opened his mouth to rebuke the statement, but Naruto cut him off.  
  
“No.” He bit out sharply. “I won’t let you. Period. Now come back to me.”  
  
Sasuke’s hand came up to rest atop of Naruto’s and he moved his face until it was a mere breath that separated their lips. Naruto’s heart began beating so hard he was sure Sasuke could hear it.  
  
“You are making this _extremely_ difficult.”  
  
Naruto audibly swallowed. His brain tried to play tricks on him and he began repeating his words back to him. How it was supposed to hurt, that nothing was going to rid them of each other. Don’t ruin the last few weeks. Naruto’s eyes flicked down at Sasuke’s lips and then back to his eyes.  
  
Sasuke made a sound in his throat that was either a growl or a groan but that was enough to get Naruto moving. He connected their lips in one smooth motion, his hand sliding from Sasuke’s face and into his hair. He grabbed a fistful of the raven stands and held on as he pressed Sauske back against the couch.  
  
Sasuke nipped at Naruto’s bottom lip, making him gasp and tug at Sasuke’s hair, which made the brunette gasp in response. Naruto let out the tiniest groans when he tasted Sasuke’s mouth again. His warm breath and sinful tongue made Naruto’s toes curl. The blond shuffled his body around, refusing to break their mouths apart. Sasuke’s hand was gripping the back of his neck, pulling him deeper and deeper into the kiss. Naruto rose up on his knees, making Sasuke stretch his neck to keep them locked together. His mouth broke apart from Naruto when he felt the blond’s legs go over his thighs. Naruto was panting lightly as he straddled Sasuke. One fist in his hair, the other braced on Sasuke’s chest, his fingers feeling the wild drum of Sasuke’s heart.  
  
Sasuke’s hands seemed like they had a mind of their own. He dropped them both down to Naruto’s hips, let his fingers work their way under the hem of his shirt and ghost across his smooth skin.  
Naruto let out the faintest breathy moan and the sound sent the biggest rush down Sasuke’s spine. He reconnected their lips with a growing fervor. The blond made a purposeful motion with his hips, grinding down on Sasuke’s painfully hard cock, making them both moan into each other’s mouths. Sasuke’s fingers continued to travel up underneath Naruto’s shirt, just grazing over his nipples and causing the blond to shiver.  
  
Naruto barely disconnected their lips and let out the smallest moan that caressed Sasuke’s lips, causing Sasuke’s fingers to dig into Naruto’s skin.  
  
The sound of a car door made them pause simultaneously. They were both panting, just barely apart to the point their lips were touching. Their eyes searched each other as they listened.  
Sakura’s laugh was unmistakable. Naruto hopped off Sasuke’s lap while the brunette yanked his hands out from underneath Naruto’s shirt. The blond hopped over Sasuke and curled back up on the couch, trying to angle so the bulge in his pants could go unnoticed. He reached behind him and grabbed the blanket on the back of the couch, Sasuke reaching up and yanking it across his lap.  
  
They tried to control their breathing and school their faces when the door opened. Naruto knew his face was already flushed, but the blush of embarrassment of nearly getting caught most likely made him light up.  
Sakura was still laughing when they walked in the house and Naruto was suddenly very thankful of her laughter. He couldn’t imagine what would have happened if they had walked in on them making out.  
  
“Naruto, look. It’s the picture from the morning after our first sleep over. When you told me I snored and I chased you up a tree.”  
  
The blond plastered on his best smile and hoping they couldn’t tell something was wrong. He reached his hand out for the picture and laughed when he got a good look at it. They were both still in their pajamas and both still had bed head. Ino was leaning against the tree, her arms crossed over her stomach as she was doubled over in laughter. Naruto looked offended over something and Sakura looked murderous. Sasuke and Gaara were standing in the doorway, both sipping coffee and watching their friends with mild interest.  
  
Naruto reached his hand over Sasuke’s shoulder and held the picture up as he chuckled. He was expecting Sasuke to not even acknowledge it and to remain the blank slate they had spent the week with, but he got a snort in response.  
  
“You lay down in gym class after running ten steps and yet you got up that tree in a few seconds. Your preservation instincts are almost admirable.”  
  
Naruto flicked his wrist and made the picture smack Sasuke in the face at his rebuttal, and the girls started laughing. Sakura came over and sat next to Sasuke and luckily she didn’t try to take the blanket. She pressed her shoulder against his and he actually looked over at her hands where she held a small stack of photos. From the angle Naruto had, his face looked as passive as usual, barely showing mild interest in the photos Sakura was getting ready to show him. Ino joined on Sasuke’s other side while Hinata came and curled up on the couch and leaned against Naruto. The two peered over the shoulders of Sasuke and the two other girls and their two piles of pictures. Hinata had a slim few photos in her hands and Naruto held out his hand in silent request to see them. Hinata handed over a few pictures. One was of the pond, one was the picture Naruto had framed in his room of the group, and the last one was a rare picture of Gaara smiling. They had been sitting at the lunch table and Naruto and Ino had gotten into a heated discussion over the zombie apocalypse.  
  
“You made sure he can have these, right?”  
  
Hinata nodded, “I c-called to see if I-I could bring th-them in.”  
  
“Is anyone else hungry? I could eat,” Ino said, putting the stack of photos on the blanket on top of Sasuke.  
  
“No pizza,” Sakura said immediately.  
  
Naruto let out a dramatic gasp, “How _dare_ you?”  
  
“Burgers,” Hinata said wistfully.  
  
“Why do you guys have to make it seem like we only eat pizza?”  
  
“Naruto,” Sasuke sighed. “You have put the local pizza company’s children through college. All fifteen of them.”  
  
Sakura and Ino burst out laughing while Hinata sympathetically patted Naruto’s shoulder, while the blond lowered his head and shook it.  
  
Sakura and Ino hopped up when they could stop laughing and Naruto shoved Sasuke out of the way and hopped up. Sasuke pushed at the back of Naruto’s knee with his foot and stood with Hinata while Naruto turned to retaliate.  
  
“Food first. Death match later,” Sakura said, reaching between the boys and grabbing Hinata’s hand to tug her along.  
  
“Alright, let me go grab a jacket.”  
  
Hinata gave him a tiny smile as he turned and Naruto knew she noticed Sasuke’s change in attitude. Naruto bounded up the stairs and strode into his bedroom, reaching for the hoodie he had borrowed from Sasuke and grabbed his wallet from his desk. When he turned to leave the room he almost smacked into Sasuke. Naruto took a step back in surprised and gave Sasuke a nasty look.  
  
“I’m not really all that excited about your thing for scaring the shit out of me, just so you know.”  
  
Naruto heard the door bang back behind the girls as they went to get in the car. Naruto walked around Sasuke, hearing him behind him as he walked into the hallway.  
Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s arm and yanked him back and around, pushing Naruto up against the hallway closet and pressed his lips against his. Naruto inhaled sharply through his nose, dropping his wallet and hoodie so he could let his fingers trickle up Sasuke’s stomach and chest over his shirt. Sasuke pulled back and looked down to his feet letting his shoulders slump forward. He pressed his forehead against Naruto’s, and the blond let his arms drape over Sasuke’s shoulders, slender fingers were tangled in blond hair.  
  
Sasuke sighed, the warm breath tickling Naruto’s face. He whispered, “What the hell are we doing? I thought we wanted to stop?”  
  
“We didn’t want to stop. We didn’t want to get hurt and thought it was the best idea,” Naruto whispered back.  
  
“It isn’t.”  
  
Naruto’s fingers began to idly play in Sasuke’s hair as he swallowed, “That’s what you’ve been thinking about, isn’t it?”  
  
Sasuke’s fingers tightened and Naruto pulled back so he could look Sasuke in the eye.  
  
\Sasuke stared back silently and Naruto could practically hear Sasuke saying how stupid this idea was. That this was going to hurt and this was a bad idea. Sasuke didn’t want to ruin their friendship. Sasuke wanted to stop. He couldn’t stop.  
  
“I’ve been thinking about it, too,” Naruto said quietly. “I want this as long as I can have it.”  
  
Sasuke searched Naruto’s eyes, his dark orbs flicking back and forth. The rest of his face was impassive and Naruto knew he was debating. Sasuke barely bowed his head, his eyes looking towards the stairs and he pulled back, letting Naruto’s arms fall to his side.  
  
“We need to get going.”  
  
With that, Sasuke was heading towards the stairs and Naruto smacked his head back against the wall, shutting his eyes.  
  
“What the fuck…”  
  
Sasuke hesitated before he went down the stairs, looking towards Naruto whose face looked pinched in pain. He leaned over and slid his hand into Naruto’s and tugged, making the blond turn sharply at him.  
  
“We need to get going, moron. Let’s go.”  
  
Naruto could barely contain the laughter, “Alright bastard, lets go.”


	14. The Break, The Slip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I finally finished transferring the fic here and it's up to date. I don't have a dedicated posting schedule, but I did write smut...so there's that.

Naruto wanted to tell himself he didn’t mind not putting a label on whatever he and Sasuke were doing. All their small smiles, stolen kisses, and long looks to each other didn’t need a title. It didn’t need to be a public display. It didn’t need to be anything. Naruto knew it was safer – better even – to just simply enjoy what he had while he had it. He couldn’t help wanting more.  
  
The only reason he kept it to himself were the long nights that he would stay up with Sasuke. He was content struggling to stay awake in class just so he could get extra time with him. Nights spent sitting on Naruto’s stoop or in Sasuke’s car in his driveway or tucked together on Naruto’s couch. He would notice that the brunette would fade mentally after a kiss or a touch or a conversation, and Naruto knew it was solely based on the fact that Sasuke was counting down until everything was over. The blond couldn’t blame him since he was doing the same thing. He would gently fall back to his thoughts of how much this would hurt when it was put to an abrupt halt. Maybe they were old enough to work through a long-distance relationship. Maybe if he could emotionally detach it wouldn’t be so bad. What was the point if he dropped his feelings?  
  
Naruto was walking up Sasuke’s long stretch of driveway with his ear pressed to his phone. He was chatting with Gaara, trying to explain to his friend what was going on without explaining what was going on.  
Naruto’s blue eyes flicked up when he saw light coming from the house and found Sasuke’s silhouetted figure waiting for him in the doorway. He waved Sasuke forward and even though it was dark out he knew Sasuke was rolling his eyes at him.  
  
“ _Naruto, stop answering my questions with other questions_ ,” Gaara sighed.  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Naruto said with a laugh.  
  
“ _Is this about Sasuke_?”  
  
Naruto pursed his lips and clicked his tongue before turning away from Sasuke who was getting closer by the second.  
  
“Hinata? Has she been feeding you information? Is she the mole?”  
  
“ _It requires zero thought to put together you and him. You didn’t elaborate last time, but it’s pretty apparent. Are you going to explain or are you going to keep on rolling with the question for a question_?”  
  
Naruto couldn’t help but laugh, “I cross my heart and hope to die…next phone call. You can’t have much time left.”  
  
Naruto heard a voice in the background and listened as Gaara’s muffled voice answered. Naruto turned when he could hear Sasuke’s light footsteps just a few feet away and had to stifle laughter when the brunette literally began dragging him towards the house. Sasuke hooked a finger around a belt loop on Naruto’s jeans, tugging and making the blond comply. Naruto would never rip his lucky jeans and Sasuke knew that.  
  
“ _Your internal clock is impressive_.”  
  
“Pure talent. I’ll accept my award by a generous cash donation to my foundation.”  
  
Sasuke snorted, still marching up the driveway with the blond tripping over himself to keep up.  
  
“ _I’ll tell the president. I’ll call tomorrow_.”  
  
They said their goodbyes and Naruto smacked at Sasuke’s hand to no avail. He settled for whining.  
  
“ _Sasuke_ …these are my _favorite_ pants,” He groaned, stretching words to grate on his nerves.  
  
Naruto grabbed at Sasuke’s hand, pressing against a pressure point until Sasuke unhooked his finger. The blond took the opportunity to snag Sasuke’s hand and lace his fingers with his. He had always been an affectionate person. He held hands with his friends all the time, yet something about holding hands with Sasuke soothed him. He found his hand inching towards Sasuke’s without a thought whenever they managed to drift near each other.  
It seemed the gentle gesture slowed Sasuke down as he no longer needed to trudge on to the house.  
  
“We don’t have to pack anymore books, right?”  
  
“It wasn’t that many books,” Sasuke grumbled, his eyes forward towards the open door. It was always something he had to mentally prepare himself for, for every time he would enter his house. He had to remind himself it wasn’t a home and that he would find one. That even though the days – hours – minutes – were ticking by, he could at least spend them with Naruto. That was something.  
  
“-alphabetical order after you ditched the color coding. Then you didn’t even tell me you were doing that by author.”  
  
“Everyone does it by author.”  
  
Naruto raised on brow, tugging gently on Sasuke’s hand to get the brunette to look at him, and Sasuke complied.  
  
Naruto was giving him a half-assed glare, his blue eyes shining with buried laughter and his lips pursed to hold back a smile.  
  
“You did it on purpose. You messed up on purpose.”  
  
Naruto gasped, yanking Sasuke’s hand with his to pretend to clutch his heart, making Sasuke smirk while he shoved down his own smile and laughter.  
  
“You dare accuse me of wrong doing? How could you?”  
  
“Around the time you started just lobbing books into boxes like a carnival game. That’s when I realized, this is it, insult him or kill him.”  
  
Naruto couldn’t help but laugh, throwing his head back and knocking their shoulders together.  
  
“Are you jealous of my ring toss skills, Uchiha?”  
  
“I’ll be sure to call you and beg you to save my life via ring tossing skills should that hostage situation ever occur.”  
  
Naruto rolled his eyes, squinting at the bright light from the entry way as they walked up the steps towards it.  
  
“I need to get all the small things packed. That way I can look at the bigger picture a…”  
  
It was a lot to process in such a very short span of time that had to be a single breath of a second.  
  
Upon crossing the threshold into Sasuke’s house they were face to face with someone Naruto had only seen at a glance before. Naruto’s lips began to part as he watched Sasuke’s older brother have his eyes flick over the pair. First to Sasuke, then to Naruto and finally to their hands. Sasuke yanked his hand away like he had been burned. Naruto swallowed to try and find his voice and only managed to look towards the floor and shove his hands in his pockets.  
  
“Itachi,” Sasuke said with a curt nod of his head.  
  
“Sasuke,” His older brother replied.  
  
Naruto grimaced, lifting his eyes to see the epic stare down between the two brothers. He pointed towards the opened door and took a side step towards it and closed it before shrugging to himself.  
  
“Well not that I don’t love being the third wheel in awkward family situations…”  
  
Sasuke turned to shoot a sharp look at Naruto who took another step away from him and turned his eyes to Itachi.  
  
Naruto stuck out his hand, “We’ve never met before.”  
  
Naruto nearly tripped over his own feet when Sasuke’s fingers gripped the sleeve of the jacket Naruto was wearing and began yanking him up the stairs without another word.  
Even halfway up a flight of stairs and tripping over his own feet, Naruto could still see Itachi clench his jaw before turning away with his shoulders relaxing.  
Naruto yanked his arm away when they reached the top of the stairs only to have Sasuke whirl on him and Naruto instinctively took a step back.  
  
“ _What_ are you doing?” Sasuke hissed through clench teeth.  
  
“What the hell else am I supposed to do when we walk in holding hands? Back out of the door and tell him it was a dream?”  
  
Sasuke rolled his eyes before turning away but this time Naruto grabbed his arm to pull him back.  
  
“Why should I not meet him?”  
  
“Aside the fact that my family does _not_ know I’m _gay_?”  
  
Naruto felt his grip slowly fading, “I meant, just…like, as a friend. Why shouldn’t I?”  
  
Sasuke’s nerves were frayed and he nearly growled, “Because it doesn’t matter.”  
  
“Do I matter?”  
  
Sasuke inhaled sharply like he was going to say something, but rolled his eyes and turned to go down the hall. Naruto’s fingers slipped off his arm without a flinch. His eyes followed Sasuke as he trudged down the hall, shoving open his door and running both hands through his hair as he passed through the doorway.  
Naruto wanted to smack himself. Of all times for his filter to give out and all the thoughts he was trying to shove aside to come tumbling out, now was the worst possible time.  
He jogged down the hall just as Sasuke stepped out of the view of the doorway and Naruto paused when he entered.  
He looked around, spotting Sasuke standing in front of the last of his bookshelves, studying it with rigid shoulders and crossed arms. Naruto walked carefully to side up with Sasuke and tried to force himself to keep his eyes on him.  
  
“I’m –“  
  
“You matter,” Sasuke said before Naruto could finish his apology.  
  
Naruto’s mouth was open in a half formed thought but he abruptly shut it. His eyes danced around Sasuke’s face, trying to study his expression and decode it. He then tried to memorize it so it could be on the backs of his eyelids. He noticed that he had been doing that more and more lately. Trying to take mental snap shots of time with Sasuke.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Naruto said in a halfhearted whisper.  
  
Without further preamble, the two set to work silently stripping Sasuke’s bookshelf and putting it in boxes. Sasuke soon broke off and began going around the room and packing things that weren’t necessary. Trophies, movie cases, an old video game console, a few picture frames and leaving the rest untouched. His fingers hovered over a framed picture that sat next to his bed of all his friends together and decided to leave it there.  
Sasuke walked over to where Naruto was still arranging colors or authors or heights and any other thing he could think of. Sasuke set the box down and then crouched next to Naruto, their knees pressed together.  
  
“How long has that been bothering you?”  
  
Naruto barely paused in his ministrations as he plucked books off the shelf and then selected the best box. He gave a small shrug; slightly embarrassed and definitely wishing he hadn’t said a damn thing.  
It had been five days. They were approaching the end of the week, ticking down the remaining weeks until Sasuke got into a moving truck and didn’t look back. Five days since Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s hand and pulled him down the stairs only to let go as soon as they reached the door. They didn’t discuss it, they didn’t agree on anything, they just approached a silent agreement to not discuss it. It had been bothering him ever since they got in the car with Ino in between the two of them and pretended once more like nothing ever happened.  
  
“Sasuke…” Naruto sighed.  
  
The brunette held up a hand to stop Naruto right then, “Remember when you were so content with getting me to open up and talk and share feelings?”  
  
Naruto planted his face in his waiting palms, “I didn’t know it would turn you into a socialite.”  
  
Sasuke snorted, situating himself so he was sitting on the floor before grabbing Naruto’s sleeve and tugging him down to be pressed against his side.  
  
“We don’t need to talk about it, honest.” Naruto tried again.  
  
Sasuke didn’t say anything or move, just stared back in silent protest that he wouldn’t let this go.  
  
“Look, I don’t want to complicate this. I…I was just, I mean…I just keep thinking about us never talking again. Drifting apart.”  
  
Sasuke knew it was only part of the problem, but he wanted to give Naruto a solution.  
  
Naruto plowed on, “I’m sorry I grabbed your hand. I didn’t know anyone was here.”  
  
Sasuke pulled in a slow breath, his eyes glancing at the mess of books before going back to Naruto. Sasuke leaned over, pressing his lips to Naruto’s before pulling back enough to clearly see his face.  
  
“No label,” Naruto said. “Maybe a code noise for family being home? Like cawing like a bird or clucking like a chicken.”  
  
Sasuke gave his head a small shake, “I didn’t know he was here.”  
  
“A bell, then. Strap it to his shirt or something.”  
  
Sasuke snorted, “That will work out great.”  
  
“Do you think…is it going to be a problem?” Naruto fidgeted restlessly.  
  
“No.” Sasuke lied quickly. The frown that carved out Naruto’s lips told him he didn’t believe it.  
  
Sasuke head turned away from Naruto when he heard the front door snap shut and the blond could have sworn he saw Sasuke’s lips twitch in an uncertain manner.  
  
Sasuke stood, walking across the room until he was facing out the window, pushing the curtains aside to glance out. Sasuke froze for a second before muttering under his breath.  
  
“Fuck,” He snapped out harshly.  
  
“What’s wrong?”  
  
“My parents are here.”  
  
Naruto sucked in a sharp breath, “I can go out the back door. I can run.”  
  
Sasuke looked over his shoulder with a glare before his face softened, noticing Naruto was absolutely serious.  
  
“Sit back down, idiot. Your car is still out front.”  
  
Naruto showed off his middle finger and tried to capture Sasuke’s glare with his own features.  
  
“I was trying to help, bastard.”  
  
Sasuke turned back towards the window, watching his brother exchange a few words and gentle gestures with his parents. He could feel his shoulders rise and bunch from tension. He watched his father give one firm nod and his mother reach forward and gently squeeze Itachi’s hands. They turned back towards their car and Itachi turned back around to go back in the house.  
  
“They’re leaving?”  
  
Naruto felt one brow raise in confusion, “Did they just do a drive by or something?”  
  
Sasuke raised one shoulder as his eyes followed his parents’ car as it descended the driveway, “I don’t know. They talked to Itachi and then left.”  
  
“Well, I know an exit when I see one.”  
  
Sasuke turned as Naruto was pulling Sasuke’s hoodie over his head, the one he still hadn’t given back. Naruto followed Sasuke’s eyes to the stolen clothing before pulling a face.  
  
“Maybe I should just go home without a jacket.”  
  
“The last thing I need is Iruka hunting me down because you came home slightly cold.”  
  
Naruto let out a huff of a laugh, refusing to make eye contact. It had been the most awkward half hour of his entire life.  
Sasuke looked down the hall before stepping up to Naruto and grabbing the front of the hoodie. He pulled him forward, pressing their lips together. It was a silent reassurance – he hoped at least – that would let Naruto know he wasn’t going to back down again. He knew he needed to finish talking to him, but right now wasn’t the greatest time.  
  
Sasuke walked Naruto downstairs to the door, his eyes roaming and looking for any sign of his brother. Naruto walked out the front door without so much as a glance back and it both relaxed and infuriated Sasuke.  
He sighed and shut the door when he saw the headlights turn on and heard the car come to life. When he turned, it took everything in him not to jump out of his skin and yell at the top of his lungs.  
Itachi was standing there, his hands clasped behind his back, his face its usual stone mask.  
  
“What happened with mother and father?” Sasuke asked, his tone perfectly even.  
  
“I told them you and I needed some privacy as we were bonding as brothers.”  
  
Sasuke couldn’t help the curl of his lip, making Itachi release the smallest of chuckles.  
  
“You haven’t eaten,” Itachi said more as an observation than asking.  
  
“I’ve been busy.”  
  
“Well, now you aren’t. I’ll make dinner.”  
  
Sasuke schooled his face before he made another disgusted look, “I still have more packing to do.”  
  
“Then you can take a break,” Itachi replied simply.  
  
“I’m not hungry,” Sasuke shot back politely.  
  
“And yet your stomach has been preforming its own symphony to accompany this discussion.”  
  
Sasuke clenched his jaw as Itachi turned, knowing damn well he had won and followed after his older brother. He knew what was coming. Sasuke could practically see it playing like a film in his mind. The awkward conversation, the long questions hanging in the air, and every little sliver of privacy Sasuke has ever been awarded getting taken away.  
  
“Stop over dramatizing this entire situation, little brother.”  
  
Sasuke flicked a glare at his brother as they entered the kitchen. Itachi already had a pot and a few pans atop the stove, the oven turned on, and three plates laid out on the kitchen island. Sasuke took a seat on one of the stools, refusing to offer help.  
  
“I haven’t said a word.”  
  
“Don’t have to,” Itachi said simply, cracking open the fridge and grabbing more food.  
  
“When was the last time you cooked?” Sasuke asked, hoping he could avoid the inevitable.  
  
Itachi let out a small hum in thought, “I do believe we were in the old house. I know at the time you weren’t fond of thunder.”  
  
Sasuke eyed the three plates and Itachi caught him staring.  
  
“I had been planning to make a dinner for us and I had enough for your…friend. You seemed eager to get rid of him though.”  
  
_Here we go_.  
  
“Please don’t do this,” Sasuke muttered, instantly rubbing his forehead with his hand. He knew a headache would start any second.  
  
Itachi paused for the briefest of moments, seeming to consider his brother’s plea.  
  
“Were you going to do this if he was still here?”  
  
“What is _his_ name?”  
  
Sasuke looked up to shoot Itachi a glare. Itachi was busy placing the chicken breast in the searing pan, grabbing herbs and spices from the cabinet.  
  
“His name is Naruto.”  
  
Itachi’s head snapped up just slightly so the older Uchiha’s eyes were level with the cabinet. He hadn’t exactly expected to get an answer.  
  
“I was not planning to do this if he had stayed. Though now he is gone we can avoid dragging him into the most awkward conversation of our lives.”  
  
That statement actually scared a clipped laugh out of Sasuke.  
  
“We can just skip in general,” He mumbled.  
  
“How long have you been together?”  
  
Sauske couldn’t think past the panic sirens wailing in his head.  
  
“We aren’t together.” He managed.  
  
“Because you’ve always been the affectionate type, holding hands with whomever you come across.”  
  
“We. Aren’t.” Sasuke ground out.  
  
Itachi turned, his face still blank and his hands wrapped up in a hand towel. “You’re the worst liar I’ve ever come across.”  
  
Sasuke held in a sigh, clenching his teeth so hard his jaw popped, “I’m telling you the truth.”  
  
“You aren’t the ‘friends with benefits’ type.”  
  
Sasuke might not be the type to blush, but he had to drop his face in his hands to hide it.  
  
“Ah, I see. Friends with benefits. Would have never seen that coming.”  
  
Sasuke slid off the stool as smooth as possible, “And I’m done. I’m not hungry.”  
  
“I’m just concerned.”  
  
“Nothing to worry over,” Sasuke said briskly, trying to hurry out of the room.  
  
Itachi’s lips barely twitched, “I don’t want you getting hurt, Sasuke.”

  
Sasuke was shocked enough to stop and turn towards his brother. He took a brief second to study his face. Usually it was schooled into a perfect blank mask that they had both learned from their father. They were bred to be hard to read. Yet there was the smallest of creases between his brows, the ends of his mouth just slightly turned down. His jaw was set. He wasn’t kidding.  
  
“What do you care?”  
  
Sasuke hadn’t intended to sound harsh or rude or upset, but when his indignation spilled from his lips, it was quite obvious.  
  
The uncomfortable feel through the room became filled with tension.  
  
Itachi turned to give a pot a stir and tossed some things in a pan before he turned to motion Sasuke to sit back down. He didn’t budge from standing in the doorway.  
  
Itachi had to refrain from clicking his tongue, “You’re still my brother.”  
  
“You’re my roommate, nothing more.”  
  
Itachi’s brows raised in surprise and it made Sasuke scoff.  
  
“We are Uchiha. We are brothers.”  
  
Sasuke saw red. “You haven’t given a single moment of second thought about me. We do not talk. We don’t even know each other. I just found out you can cook for fuck sake. How many nights have I not been home? What classes am I taking? What college am I attending? What are my friends’ names? Why, pray tell, does now seem like a great time to be involved in caring about me?”  
  
“You spend three to four nights a week out of this house, I’ve never been worried about it because you’re smarter than most give teenagers credit for. You’re on the debate team, student body president, and you’re in all but one AP class; the only reason is because you can’t stand history. You’ve gotten three early acceptance letters but you’re holding out for a college that isn’t Ivy League. I’m still thinking it’s because you want to make father murder you but you’ve surprised me before.”  
  
Sasuke knew his lips parted, so he quickly pressed them back together before his jaw completely dropped. There was a moments pause where Sasuke made eye contact with his older brother, and it seemed to be the deciding factor.  
  
He walked back to the kitchen island, grabbed the plate that was set out for him, and held it out towards his brother. Itachi took it, placed a chicken breast and the sautéed vegetables on the plate, and passed it back. The two settled across from each other at the large dining room table.  
  
Sasuke took a bite of the chicken, “Well…that was unexpected.”  
  
“That good?” Itachi said a little smugly.  
  
“It tastes awful,” Sasuke deadpanned.  
  
Itachi took a bite himself before putting down his eating utensils and sliding the plate away, “Pizza.”  
  
“God, no. No more pizza for as long as I live.”  
  
“Now I know we’re out of touch, but I can’t remember an actual time you turned down pizza. Perhaps you’re dying.”  
  
Sasuke glared at his brother, but one side of his mouth turned up as he tried to hide a smile.  
  
“Naruto’s diet consists of pizza and things like pizza or something that has pizza toppings. Occasionally he gets swayed to have a burger.”  
  
Itachi let out a small huff that was as close as someone could get to making him laugh.  
  
“For what it’s worth, I can tell you’ve been happier.”  
  
Sasuke cast his eyes downward, “I have.”  
“Why didn’t you say anything when we discussed the move?”  
  
The younger Uchiha shrugged, “Nothing would have come of it.”  
  
“The only reason they agreed to the position Father was offered was because they thought we had no ties here.”  
  
“Well, to be fair to them, I didn’t until recently.”  
  
“How are they handling the news of the move? Your friends. Naruto.”  
  
“Well, no one is happy about it.”  
  
“Are you prepared to have a long-distance relationship?”  
  
Sasuke smacked his forehead, “We aren’t in a relationship.”  
  
“Right. Friends.”  
  
Between the anxiety, irritation and pure uncomfortable conversation, Sasuke was reaching another tipping point. As if his anger hadn’t been already prodded in the past twenty minutes, it seemed like Itachi was doing it on purpose, and Sasuke was reaching boiling point.  
  
“You want the truth? Fine.” He shoved his plate skittering down the table, “I’m not dating him. You want to know why? Because we’re moving. I wasn’t stupid enough to dive into a relationship when we’re going across the country. The big issue is that I cannot – in any way, shape or form – ignore that I have feelings for him. So I got selfish. I decided to have what I could while I could have it. You rubbing my fucking nose in it doesn’t help the shit situation that I’m in. I know you want to say some bullshit life advice on how I’ll find love somewhere else and I’ll get over this. That isn’t something you just get over. And don’t you fucking dare tell me what I am or am not feeling. I know what this is.”  
  
Sasuke stood, pushing the chair back, “You probably want to tell me that I’ll make new friends. That I can find happiness or something equally ‘uplifting’, but I don’t want to hear it. Are you happy now? We bonded. And big fucking news flash here, Itachi, but I’d like mother and father to be unaware of my spectacular stumble which caused me to come out of the closet.”  
  
Itachi was blinking rapidly, like he was trying to process everything that Sasuke snapped at him, and before he could say anything in retort, Sasuke strode out of the kitchen into the hall and right out the front door. He didn’t bother with shoes or his wallet or a jacket or his keys. His breath was fogging in his face with each angry breath he took. He dug his phone out of his pocket and kept walking.  
  
_Are you awake_?  
  
He made it halfway down the driveway by the time his phone dinged with a message back from Naruto.  
  
**Unless my essay can magically be written while doing so, totes awake**.  
  
_Can you come pick me up?_  
  
**Am I helping you bury a body**?  
  
_I’m walking towards your house_.  
  
Naruto felt his lips pull into a frown. There was no reason Sasuke would walk to his house. He felt the slightest sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
**I’m coming**.  
  
Naruto still hadn’t taken off the hoodie and didn’t bother with shoes. He knew the car would still be warm. With Iruka still sleeping he didn’t have to stop and explain. He rushed down the stairs as quietly as possible and swiped the keys from the kitchen counter where he had set them out for Iruka.  
  
Sasuke had made great time by the time Naruto reached the stop sign near the turn towards his house. He had to stop himself from rolling the window down and screaming at Sasuke for walking around with just jeans and a shirt on. Instead Sasuke jogged over to the car and hopped in while Naruto threw the car in park. He tugged Sasuke’s hoodie over his head and threw it in his lap and gave him a pointed look.  
Sasuke tugged the hoodie over his head while Naruto made a U-turn and they sat in silence until Naruto put the car in park back in the driveway at his house.  
  
“Did your parents come back?”  
  
Sasuke shook his head, “No, just Itachi.”  
  
Naruto winced, “That isn’t much better. Did he uh…you know, bring up us?”  
  
Sasuke reached over and turned the car off before pulling the keys out of the ignition and climbed out of the car, and silently Naruto followed suit.  
Sasuke was walking up the stairs inside the house without waiting while Naruto locked up behind him and put the keys back where Iruka could find them. He grabbed two water bottles, picked up his abandoned backpack and trudged up the stairs. He paused at the top, glancing towards Iruka’s room and finding the door still shut and the light still off.  
  
He closed his own bedroom door behind himself and found Sasuke glaring down his essay.  
  
“Sorry golden boy, my grammar and spelling suck. My dad fell asleep with the computer so I have to type it out tomorrow and do the rough on paper.”  
  
“Like a caveman,” Sasuke replied dryly, making Naruto chuckle.  
  
Naruto sided up next to him, hooking a finger in the belt loop on his side and tugging at it gently until Sasuke tuned to face him. Naruto’s eyes flicked back and forth, trying to get a read on Sasuke and what was going on, but his eyes that usually showed all his emotion were hard.  
  
“What happened?” Naruto asked in a whisper, a ball of guilt making a home in his chest.  
  
Sasuke reached up and gripped the back of Naruto’s neck, pulling his face towards his, brushing their lips together.  
  
Naruto could still feel the tension in Sasuke’s stiff touch and his taught shoulders and his rigid posture, but he still kissed back. He unhooked his finger and turned just as Sasuke did so they could properly face each other. The tips of Naruto’s fingers dripped down the front of Sasuke’s clothed chest, and pale digits flitted up to bury themselves in soft blond strands. Naruto separated their lips at the first small tug to his hair, trying his hardest to stop the small groan and failing. Naruto deftly moved his head where Sasuke wanted it to go with each small pull to his hair, pressing firm lips to Naruto’s jaw and neck and below his ear. Naruto was resorting to biting his lip, his chest heaving with the force of suppressing every noise that tried to climb his throat. His fingers were twisted in Sasuke’s shirt, bunching up the sides and slowly inching it up, exposing inches of toned stomach. His fingers loosened, trailing down before tucking under the hem of Sasuke’s shirt and dusting his skin.  
  
A sharper tug to Naruto’s hair from Sasuke caused a small chain reaction. Sasuke dragged his teeth over Naruto’s ear lobe, making Naruto bite his lip even though the rumble of the moan played against Sasuke’s lips when they went back to his neck. Naruto’s nails scraped against Sasuke’s skin, making him moan against Naruto’s neck before letting his hands drop to his hips, pressing the two of them together. Something was exhilarating about having their erections grind against each other while their mouths toyed with silence and exposed skin.  
  
Naruto was starting to pant from the force of trying to keep quiet and a small fire had begun to burn in the pit of his stomach and with each shuffle of Sasuke’s feet and press of their erections, the pleasant warmth spread to his thighs and dick.  
  
Naruto managed to pull back long enough to pull Sasuke’s shirt over his head after having become sick and tired of the hindrance. Sasuke managed to withdrawal his hands and lips to help relieve himself of his shirt before helping Naruto peel his off. Sasuke grabbed at Naruto’s hips, pressing in his fingertips and barely grazing his nails over the soft skin, causing Naruto to shiver. Naruto felt Sasuke tug at him at his waist, and Naruto pressed his lips to Sasuke’s as they shuffled awkwardly towards the bed. Naruto was relieved to be able to focus his moans in the heat of Sauske’s mouth while their tongues twisted together.  
  
Just as the back of Sasuke’s legs bumped the bed, he stood his ground and his fingers went from Naruto’s hips to having his index finger slide back and forth under the waist band of his jeans. His knuckle brushed against Naruto’s skin, making him nip at Sasuke’s lip. Sasuke pulled back, staring into Naruto’s eyes and asking the silent question. Naruto answered with a hard press of his lips to Sasuke’s, his own hands coming to undo the button and yank down the zipper of his jeans. He guided Sasuke’s hands to the clothing, pressing his hands against the fabric and tried to calm his breathing. Sasuke’s ministrations were slow and methodic as he did away with Naruto’s pants and boxers.  
  
Naruto’s body shivered in the sudden chill he found himself in as he stepped out of his clothes, and Sasuke pressed their bodies back together as his fingers busied with his own pants. Naruto’s hands batted away Sasuke’s nimble fingers and undid his jeans and yanked them down along with his boxer briefs.  
  
Their hearts were nearly pounding out of their chests as they heaved for breaths and panted with hot desire that seared them from within. Sasuke brought his hands up to cradle Naruto’s face, brushing his lips with a gentle kiss before searching his bright eyes.  
  
The flushed cheeks, the blown pupils and the glazed over eyes made Sasuke’s cock twitch, but he stuffed the desire down for the briefest moments.  
  
“Tell me when to stop,” He whispered, his lungs still trying to catch up.  
  
“It sure as fuck isn’t happening now,” Naruto croaked out.  
  
Sauske barley formed a smirk when Naruto’s lips crashed with his and Sasuke reached down just slightly to have his hands grab at the back of Naruto’s thighs before sitting down on the edge of the bed.  
Naruto gasped, first in surprise as Sasuke smoothly tugged him onto his lap with his knees pressed to either side of Sasuke’s waste. Then, he was immediately drowned back into the blissful pleasure he had been experiencing as Sasuke’s nimble fingers wrapped around his cock.  
  
It was an entirely familiar feeling but at the same time something new entirely. He never knew it could feel so good to have someone else do something to you that you’ve done before.  
  
“ _Ah_ …” Naruto bit down on his lip but it barely lasted. “Sasuke. I don’t know how quiet I can be.”  
  
Sasuke groaned against his neck before sucking in a sharp breath when Naruto took his dick in his hand and began matching Sasuke’s teasing pace. Naruto’s free hand came up to pinch at Sasuke’s nipple, causing the brunette to dig his teeth into Naruto’s collar bone, causing him to lean his head back and let out a breathy moan. Sasuke used his free hand to press against Naruto’s noisy mouth.  
  
Either Naruto appreciated the sentiment or the action spurred him on to be more bold since he could be partially silenced, he squeezed his hand around Sasuke’s cock tighter making him hiss. Sasuke’s hand mimicked Naruto’s before picking up the pace, becoming more furious and desperate. He buried his face in the crook of Naruto’s neck, trying to placate his moans by busing his lips.  
  
Naruto’s lips had parted and his moans were still low enough that Sasuke’s hand was covering up the majority of the noise. The faster Sasuke went, the more Naruto pumped Sasuke’s cock to keep up and match speed. Sasuke pulled his face back, panting and pumping his hand vigorously and stealing a look at Naruto.  
  
His chest was heaving, splotched with red and just barely prickling with sweat. His head was thrown back with his eyes screwed shut with Sasuke’s hand still firmly placed over his lips. He could feel each curse that was being written on his lips, he felt the vibrations of every moan. Sasuke was shocked he didn’t cum right then and there.  
  
He removed his hand from Naruto’s mouth, wrapping it around the back of his neck and pulling Naruto forward so their foreheads rested together.  
  
“I’m going to cum,” Sasuke whispered.  
  
“ _Yes_. Yes, yes. Me too, me too, _oh shit_ , me too,” Naruto chanted, nearly whimpering the words like a desperate prayer.  
  
Naruto felt the warmth spread as his stomach began to clench and in the last desperate moment he pressed his lips to Sasuke’s just as he had his name fall from his lips.  
Naruto’s body shook and his thighs clamped around Sasuke’s hips. His free hand dug into Sasuke’s hair, grabbing a fist full as he kept the moan in his throat as his orgasm wracked his frame. He tried to keep part of his brain focused on steadily jerking Sasuke’s off, but as Sasuke’s hand continued to pump and Naruto’s cum spattered on him and on Sasuke’s stomach, he couldn’t be sure if he stopped or slowed. As the high of his pleasure began to ebb away he became more and more desperate to have Sasuke reach a higher level of bliss than he had touched.  
  
Naruto sucked Sasuke’s bottom lip in between his teeth while he tugged a little more roughly on Sasuke’s hair, causing the most unguarded and obscene noise to break free from Sasuke’s throat. Naruto pressed on, stroking Sasuke even through the tired burn in his arm and the ache in his wrist.  
  
“Shit. Shit. _Shit_.” Sasuke was panting, both hands gripping Naruto’s hips despite one having splotches of cum.  
  
Naruto barely leaned forward, pressing his lips to Sasuke’s ear and let out the smallest moan that wrapped around his name. Naruto heard Sasuke whisper out his own name before burying his face in Naruto’s neck and wrapping his arms around Naruto’s midsection as his body quaked. The hot cum that covered Naruto’s hand next seemed like some sort of trophy. He listed to the small whimpers pass though Sasuke’s lips as Naruto continued to stroke him through his orgasm, feeling some sort of pride to undo Sasuke Uchiha with just one hand.  
  
They took a moment to catch their breath and Naruto tried concentrating to hear if Iruka might have been woken, but the house was still silent. Sasuke loosened his arms from around Naruto and the blond leaned down to place a long, searing kiss to his lips.  
  
Naruto went to bring his other hand up to bury into Sasuke’s damp hair and stopped just shy, realizing that his right hand had cum on it.  
  
He gave Sasuke’s a chaste kiss before whispering, “I’ll go get a washcloth and a towel.”  
  
They slowly untangled themselves from each other, with Naruto tiptoeing out of the room and Sasuke single handedly picking up their shirts and boxers for them to get into for sleep.  
Naruto brought back two washcloths and two hand towels, and without so much as a word of discussion, they began to wipe each other off. Though completely able to handle their own bodies it was still hard to keep their hands to themselves. They wiped themselves clean and Naruto purposefully took Sasuke’s shirt after slipping on his boxers. Naruto personally appreciated how his own shirt clung in all the right parts of Sasuke; his shoulders, his chest and across his upper back.  
  
They crawled and wiggled under the comforter on Naruto’s bed, Sasuke stretching his arm across Naruto stomach to his hip, and dragging him to his chest and making the blond laugh. It was a tired and joyous sound that brought a smile to Sasuke’s lips.  
  
“I still need to finish my essay,” Naruto muttered, his voice laden with sleep.  
  
“I’ll help you in the morning.”  
  
Naruto groaned, “I don’t even want to think about waking up in seven hours.”  
  
“Six hours. The essay.”  
  
Naruto turned his face to glare at Sasuke even with his dropping lids. Sasuke could only manage to shake his head. Naruto pressed his lips to Sasuke’s forehead before turning to his side, his back pressed against Sasuke’s chest with his arm tucked around Naruto’s stomach. Sasuke pressed a kiss to the back of Naruto’s neck.  
  
  
“Goodnight, idiot.”  
  
“Fuck off, bastard.”  
  
Despite not knowing what he was going to face with the move, with the tension with his brother, it was the first time in a long time Sasuke had fallen asleep with a smile on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Agains, I'm reposting this over the next couple of nights or maybe tonight, depending. The fiction is still onging.


End file.
